Black
by SiriuslyAbsorbed
Summary: Sirius Black was born with and promised everything imaginable, or so he had thought. Follow the wizard through school as he struggles against his demons for himself, his friends and the love of his life. A story of striving to be a good person and never giving up despite how unattainable it might seem. Dark Moments, Friendship, Love & Marauder Humor. Will be 300k words. -SB/RL
1. I'm The Black Heir

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Author's Note: This story will cover Sirius's seven years at Hogwarts. The first four years will each be between 6-8 chapters long, and the last three years will each be between 10-12 chapters in length. This will put the story somewhere between 250-300,000 words at completion. **

**Oh, and Sirius's character will develop a lot over the first couple years or so. So, do not expect his behavior now to be indicative of his character at maturation. **

**;-)**

**ENJOY!**

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**Chapter 1 - I'm The Black Heir**

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**"We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." -Sirius Black (JKR)**

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Sirius Black trudged along the dark hallways of Twelve Grimmauld Place, his stormy grey eyes trained on the dark hardwood floor as he avoided the icy stares of his ancestors. He was dressed in one of his more formal dress robes, the green one, upon his mother's request. He tugged at the tie around his neck, wishing he could loosen it just a bit.

"A terrible shame. _I_ went to Durmstrang and so did my brothers as did my father and my father's father," a painting of an old aristocratic wizard told the painting across from him, an elderly witch with a severe but prettily aged face. She nodded knowingly as she gave the walking boy an arched look.

The young wizard scuffed his feet as he ignored the voices and continued on his way, having heard the sentiment too much that week for his liking. He didn't understand what the big deal was. His cousins were all attending Hogwarts. And even though his parents hadn't been overly pleased by the arrival of his initial acceptance letter, they had both been clearly relieved to hear he had received an interview.

"Hogwarts just hasn't been the same ever since Albus Dumbledore took over. You know, I always thought that Gellert fellow would be better suited for such a position, but I suppose it's a sign of the times," muttered a surprisingly young-looking dark-haired wizard in a painting to the right of the boy. Something in his voice gave the eleven-year old wizard cause to stop. He peered up at the man who looked a lot like himself. Sirius cocked his head, his silky, black hair sliding to the side and obscuring his highly-arched eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that, Uncle?" The boy, who was tall for his age, only had to tilt his head back slightly to meet the matching grey eyes.

"What I mean is that some people, some _wizards_ are better than others, Sirius. I'm sure you know this by now." The wizard gave the boy a level-look.

Sirius nodded slowly. He had been taught thoroughly by his mother, tutors and cousins. Purebloods were superior. They were smarter, better-looking, more athletic and more important than wizards of lesser blood-lineage. Half-blooded wizards were a product of treachery, and mudbloods were an abomination. Muggles were below animals, they were parasites to be squashed and should be treated as thus, clearly illustrated by the muggle-skin drapes in the Black parlor.

The painting squinted its eyes and studied the boy a little closer. "Are you sure? You almost remind me of myself when I was young, and let me tell you," he paused and looked around at his surroundings, re-used canvas and a dingier frame than the other paintings, before leaning down and whispering to the boy, "It will only land you in trouble. Somewhere like this. Just do as you're told."

Sirius's eyes widened slightly as the painting of the young wizard leaned back and looked around with a snooty air like he hadn't just whispered such odd things to the Black heir. The boy glanced around and noticed the other paintings watching him carefully. He smiled politely and said in a practiced authoritative voice, "Of course, Uncle. I do, and I would _never _consider mingling with such atrocities," earning himself proud looks of approval. The young heir gave one last glance to the peculiar painting, making a mental note to visit him again before walking off at the same reluctant pace.

"Sirius! Orion! Black!" came a screechy voice from below.

"Shit." He was late.

"I heard that young man! Down here at once!" yelled the same abrasive tone, belonging to Walburga Black, his mother.

Sirius picked up his pace, resisting the urge to run, knowing it would only earn him a back-full of lashings from his mother's beloved house elf, Kreacher. He blocked out the whispers and sadistic smiles reigning down on him once more, wishing his room wasn't at the end of the hall for the thousandth time. Sirius reached the stairway, and eyed the banister longingly before walking down the stairs at a rushed but collected pace. He heard the fireplace hooked up to the floo system flare to life in the sitting room behind the woman.

"There you are. Come to your mother, my dear." Walburga stood at the doorway to the sitting room with her long, thin arms outstretched and a sweet smile on her ruby-red lips as she awaited her hug.

Sirius held in a sigh and marched dutifully over to the dark-haired witch and entered the embrace without an outwardly sign of dissent, his arms wrapping around the woman and his eyes closing. He felt a pang in his stomach before warmth began to spread through his chest and he leaned into the hug.

"Thank you, Sirius," the clipped words jerked the boy from his lapse and he pulled back immediately. He had forgotten for a moment, the touch was customary in mixed-company and should always remain brief.

"Sorry, Mother," he said quietly, looking down at his new shoes.

"Don't mumble, Sirius," the witch chastised, before continuing in an exaggeratedly calm voice she used around visitors, "Headmaster Dumbledore is here to meet you for your Hogwart's interview."

Sirius lifted his head, peering into the room and his eyes found the wizard immediately. The old headmaster was sitting comfortably on a dark red couch with a tall stiff back. The young boy eyed the wizard carefully and received a wink back. Sirius almost let out a gasp of surprise before remembering his manners.

"Pleased to meet you, sir. I am Sirius Orion Black, eldest son and heir to the noble and most ancient house of Black," he said, bowing stiffly.

"A pleasure, Mr. Black. I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Shall we talk?" the wizard offered, his eyes twinkling.

Walburga Black smiled graciously, ignoring her son's uncomfortable look and pleading gaze for her to remain with him. "I will leave you two to your meeting." The tall witch swept out of the room, her long black dress rustling softly as she lifted her hand and shut the door behind her.

Sirius stared at the door wistfully for only a beat before turning and facing the old wizard.

"Please, join me in having a seat, Mr. Black." The headmaster motioned to the couch and sat back down before lifting his wand and waving it, causing a curtain of pearlescent-colored shimmering magic to run along the walls, ceiling and floors, coating them entirely before disappearing.

Sirius recognized the privacy spell and walked over quietly. He sat down, leaving two cushion seats between them on the four-cushioned sofa, his chest fluttering with anxiety. He knew his parents and extended family didn't approve of the wizard sitting in front of him yet they had left him here in a room with him and were sending him to the school he ran, rather poorly according to them, for the next seven years. He didn't know exactly what was expected of him and so he settled on staring at his hands.

They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when Sirius chanced a glance up, curious as to what the wizard was doing.

Sirius found himself looking into lively blue eyes, the animation in them nothing like the Black heir had ever seen before. He was used to dark, cold, calculating and distant eyes. The wizard before him though almost seemed to exude a light or a warmth from his gaze that Sirius found oddly comforting.

"Would you like some candy?" The wizard named Dumbledore asked in a surprisingly gentle voice.

Sirius blinked. "Yes, thank you," he responded and reached out, taking a small box from the wizard and reading the box silenty, _Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans_. The wizard frowned. _Every flavour? That's not very specific._ He opened the container and picked out a muted-green candy with light brown blotches on it.

"Oh, I wouldn't eat that one," the old wizard said quickly, his words stopping Sirius's hand holding the treat when it was almost to his lips.

"Why not?" he asked, surprised by the comment, his hand only lowering slightly.

"It's bogie flavored."

Sirius looked down at the bean, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why would they make such a flavor?"

The headmaster laughed. "Good question, Mr. Black. If I had to wager a guess, I would assume simply for the fun of it."

_Simply for the fun of it_, the phrase swirled in his head as he studied the candy, not putting it down. Sirius felt a smile curl up the corners of his lips in an unfamiliar fashion.

The young wizard looked into his box and scooped out another similarly colored bean. He placed the box down and held a bean in each hand, offering one out to the old wizard, who smiled and took the candy. They shared a mischievous glance before placing the candy in their mouths.

"Ugh, this is disgusting!" the boy exclaimed, forgetting his manners as he choked on the candy openly.

"Yes, you don't really ever get used to it, either," the old wizard grimaced as he chewed on his own.

Sirius swallowed hard, forcing the candy down his unwilling throat and watched the old man do the same. They shared a grimace before laughing together as the flavor continued to assault their taste buds.

"Perhaps another flavor to help cleanse the palette," the wizard suggested as he picked up the box from the table and tapped two beans out onto his palm. He reached out his hand and offered Sirius first choice. The young wizard eyed the pieces carefully. _Dirty crimson, like a mudblood, or shiny green, like a Slytherin. _Sirius looked up into the warm blue eyes, a questioning look in them, before reaching out and picking up the red candy defiantly. Dumbledore smiled mysteriously and they both popped the candies into their mouths once more. Sirius smiled. _Apple crumb pie_.

Dumbledore made a face and swallowed quickly. "Flobberworm excrement," he said wryly.

The two wizards broke into laughter once more. After ten minutes and an ear-wax, cinnamon, candy floss, sausage and dirt-flavored candy on Sirius's part, the box sat empty.

"Well, now I remember why I switched to lemondrops," Dumbledore said, using his tongue to dislodge the remains of an earthworm-flavored bean from his teeth.

Sirius smiled, loosening his tie as he sat amicably with the surprisingly likable wizard.

"Well, I should be going. It's been a pleasure getting to know you Sirius Orion Black, eldest son and heir to the noble and most ancient house of Black," the old wizard said politely as he stood, his purple robes twinkling softly in the light. "I look forward to having you attend Hogwarts in the coming month."

Sirius stood. "Please, you can call me Sirius," he said, a feeling of familiarity spurring the unadvisable words from the wizard before he could stop them. He might have not been sure how he was expected to behave around the headmaster, but he _knew_ this was definitely not it.

The tall wizard smiled, his eyes lighting up again. "Well, _Sirius,_ I think you will like it at Hogwarts very much," he said warmly before lifting his wand and removing the privacy charm on the room.

The boy nodded, wanting to believe the kind wizard's words as his family's came back to haunt him. _Hogwarts? It's a disgrace! He had better be in Slytherin-_

"I see you two are finished. Will you be requiring to speak to me and my wife?" Orion asked in a deep voice as he stood in the doorway. The tall man wore all black robes, his dark eyes flitting between his son and the headmaster for an indication as to how the meeting had gone. Sirius stiffened under the speculative gaze, hoping his tie would be overlooked.

"No, thank you. I must be on my way."

Sirius was surprised to notice his father shy back ever so slightly when the older wizard moved past him to leave. _He must be a very strong wizard_, he thought. He had never seen his father move away from anyone.

Sirius sat back down on the couch, fixing his tie and then picking up the empty box of treats he had just shared and placed it in his pocket quickly.

"And just _what_ do you think you are doing?"

Sirius stood up immediately. "Going to my rooms to change for dinner, Father," he said politely before walking out of the room and up the stairs. As he walked he pulled out the box once out of view and flipped it over to read the back. _Try our other products! Blood pops. Enchanted chocolate frogs. Animal Zingers. Fizzing Whizbees. Candy Floss._ The wizard smiled.

He had never been to a candy shop before, because his parents refused to take him to Diagon Alley, ordering his clothes by owl instead. He had been to Knockturn Alley, but it was definitely suffering from anything as enjoyable and decidedly unpoisonous as candy. The only sweets he had received were from his older cousins, and he had a feeling they were somewhat picked over. He wondered if he would have the chance to go to one once he started school. He walked past the paintings, for once not noticing the looks of disapproval he garnered as he read about a store called Honeydukes.

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"My father is taking me to Knockturn Alley this weekend with him. Care to join us?" Andromeda, Sirius's older cousin by three years asked as she walked around his room, nosily picking through his things. They didn't normally spend time together, seeing as how she was a teenage girl, but for some reason she had decided to spend her evening up in his room for a change while her family visited.

"No, not really. Those stores are creepy," Sirius answered offhandedly as he laid on his bed and stared up at the blank ceiling. _I wonder if I'd be allowed to decorate my walls?_

"Of course they are. That's the appeal of them, I suppose. I just really don't want to go by myself and be stuck sitting alone when Father runs into an acquaintance from work." Andromeda pulled open a sock drawer, grunting in disapproval when she only found foot apparel and shut it back. She moved to the wizard's nightstand.

Sirius pushed himself off his king-sized bed and landed with a loud thud onto the dark hardwood floor that ran the expanse of his room. "Why don't you ask Bella or Cissy to go with you?"

"You're lucky I cast a sound-muting charm in here." The witch gave Sirius a warning look before turning away to go through his bedside drawer. "We haven't been getting along exactly."

The boy frowned slightly at the private knowledge that he would never have jumped if the spell hadn't been cast, unbeknownst to the witch. He shrugged off his shirt, pulling on a fresh one and grabbing another tie with regret.

"Where did you get this?"

Sirius looked up, a guilty feeling hitting him abruptly as he looked at the empty box of treats Dumbledore had given him in his cousin's hand. He had forgotten that he had put the container in the drawer, or he would have moved it when she first started snooping.

The wizard walked over to grab the box, but the witch held out a hand, pushing him back. "I know you haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, and you most definitely haven't been to Hogsmeade. So where did you get it?"

Sirius reached for the box again only to receive a wand to the chest. "Tell me."

He glared down at his older, but shorter cousin, wishing his wand had already arrived even though he wouldn't have know how to use it. "It was a gift and I'd like it back _now_, thank you," he said in a clipped voice, sounding too much like his father for his own comfort.

Andromeda studied her cousin before handing it to him. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just felt a surge of unusual magic from it when I picked it up and was curious," she explained.

Sirius put the box safely in his pocket. "Headmaster Dumbledore gave it to me."

"You've met Dumbledore?" the witch asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Yes. For the school interview," Sirius said shortly.

"Interview? Sirius, you had an _interview_?" Andromeda's eyes began to study Sirius like she was searching for something she didn't want to actually find.

Sirius bristled under the unpleasant gaze. "Yes, what about it? Didn't you have one, too?"

The witch shook her head slowly. "No, Sirius. You see... Only dark-magic wizards are given interviews."

Sirius felt as if ice had begun to creep into his veins. "_What_? I'm. I'm not... You're lying."

The witch took a step forward. "I wouldn't. I didn't have one, an interview, but Bella did and so did Cissy."

Sirius looked down, not wanting to see the look of sympathy and grief plastered on his cousin's face. His parents had been pleased. _They want me to be a dark wizard? Is that what they've been teaching me? No, she must be wrong._ Sirius didn't feel dark. At least he didn't think so.

"What does that mean exactly? _Dark wizard?_ I haven't used my magic much yet except for some accidental," Sirius said, hoping she would say she had been mistaken then and take it back. He had read about dark and light magic in their library and didn't see how a dark-wizard could be a good thing.

"It's more so about your magical make-up. You can usually tell by a wizard's or witch's aura," she paused and looked curiously at the boy again. "That's the... feeling you exude from your magical core, and some wizards can sense it better than others. A core has dark and light in it. Some wizards are an even balance, but there are others who have more of one than the other. A dark wizard tends to have much more dark magic in them from the start, and as they mature it's known to increase until it takes over almost all, or in some rare cases, the entire core. The same happens with light-wizards," she said the last part softly.

The words assaulted Sirius, attacking him viciously. _Cores? Aurus? Light and dark? Takes over_? A sick feeling began to grow in his stomach. "That's, that's complete rubbish, Andromeda. Get out of my room. _Now_."

"It's not. I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean to upset you, and I didn't mean to judge you. I was just, just surprised is all. Both my and your parents are dark wizards, my sisters too, and so are all the Malfoys. It's actually quite common amongst-"

"- I said get out, you stupid bint!" Sirius roared, the furniture and contents of his room rattling with his words as his anger surged to life.

Andromeda looked nervously around the room and nodded. He watched through a red-haze as she walked out quickly.

Sirius turned sharply to the mirror in his room and began to fix his tie. _She's wrong. Mother and Father would have told me about something like that. And Dumbledore was so...so nice to me_, he insisted as the box weighed heavily in his pocket. He thought about the headmaster's twinkling eyes. _That was his aura. He's a light-magic wizard._

He flattened his tie and leaned forward, looking into his own grey eyes apprehensively. There he saw a reflection of the coldness that his mother and father had in theirs with just the slightest bit of the light he had seen in the headmaster's coming from them. _Sometimes it takes over completely_, his cousin's words echoed in his mind. He closed his eyes tightly and pictured the headmaster's warm gaze once more and imagined his own mimicking them. He opened them slowly and looked closely, finding the same grey eyes peering back at him. _It's not true. Dark and light, it doesn't make a difference. I'm a pureblood and that's all that matters, _he insisted to himself.

Sirius turned away from the mirror and walked out of the room, making his way down to the party being thrown in his honor, the Black heir, for his first year at school, and therefore Slytherin house, which commenced after the weekend was through.

* * *

"Come now, Sirius, we must not stop, or you might miss the train. _Train_. I can't believe they're using a muggle-form of transportation. It's a disgrace," his mother muttered under her breath as they neared the wall separating the ninth and tenth station. Kreacher walked along behind them, levitating Sirius's luggage, under a disillusionment charm as they walked through the wall and entered the magical train station Nine and three-quarters. Sirius thought it felt similar to walking through the wards of his family's home. He didn't know if the familiarity comforted or disconcerted him. _Was I expecting something different? Why would I want anything else?_

Sirius pushed away his musings as he looked around and began to notice he was more dressed up than a lot of the other wizards preparing to board. There were kids in robes already dressed for school, a minority of them had on clothes like him but they were of much lesser quality, but they hadn't caught the wizard's gaze. No, he was noticing that a large majority of the students were in casual slacks or a bluish colored slack he had never seen before. And they were wearing shirts without buttons and there were pictures on them. He studied a dark-haired wizard with glasses closely who had a short-sleeved shirt with a dragon on it and the words _Dragon Tamers Get All The Birds_ written on it. Sirius quirked a smile that quickly turned into a self-conscious frown. He peered down at his own black suit, biting his lip nervously.

"Don't look like that. It's disgusting," his mother snapped, stopping as they stood by one of the entrances to the train. "Hold your head up and be proud. You are a _Black_. We are of the sacred twenty-eight." Sirius looked away, noticing that people had started to glance his way curiously. "_Look at me_. You are the heir to the Black fortune. You cannot afford the luxury of mistakes, Sirius. Toujours pur. Live it."

Sirius nodded, anxiety welling in his chest. He moved to give his mother the customary hug, hoping she would let him hang on slightly longer since he would be away until Christmas time.

"No."

Sirius stopped.

"You are not a child anymore, Sirius. There is no need for such nonsense. Now, go. I will pick you up for Christmas."

Sirius nodded slowly. "Yes, Mother. Goodbye," he said quietly, his calm voice belying the sadness settling in his chest. He swallowed and pushed the feelings away. "Come along, Kreacher," he said darkly, turning from his mother, and boarding the train.

He walked silently behind the house elf, who was mumbling to himself rather loudly about the occupants of each compartment they passed, garnering glances from the witches and wizards around them. Sirius put on his haughtiest look as he felt their looks darkening.

"Unpure. Unpure. Unpure. Hmmm. Pure, but.." Kreacher stood in front of a compartment, humming to himself in thought.

"Well, what are you waiting for, you miserable thing, go in already!" Sirius growled, not able to ignore the looks any longer.

The old house elf stood quietly, looking unsure as to whether he needed listen to the young heir.

"Your instructions were for me to be put in a room with only pure-blooded wizards. _Nothing more_. Now, _in_," he hissed quietly.

The house elf glared at him before opening the door with a wave of his hand and entering, Sirius's large black trunk floating in ahead of him.

"Hello. You're not a wizard."

Sirius walked in, his eyes glazing over the dragon-shirted boy he had seen on the platform as he attempted to rid himself of the evil house elf.

"Right up there, thank you, you vile Kreacher," he said, holding back a smile as he made a play on the elf's name.

The messy-haired boy frowned but didn't say anything.

"Anything else, Master Black?" Kreacher asked, bowing sarcastically at the young wizard.

Sirius lifted a hand, waving the sadistic elf away from him in disgust.

Kreacher turned, gave the other occupant a weary look, and walked out of the room, muttering to himself.

"Right. That was weird," the messy-haired wizard mumbled to himself before clearing his throat and smiling across at the new occupant. "Hello, I'm James Potter." The wizard offered a friendly hand, but Sirius merely stared at it before looking out the window.

The wizard cleared his throat again. "It's my first year. What about you? You look like a first year. So, you're a Black, eh? My mother is a Black. Do you want to be friends?"

Sirius raised one eyebrow as he studied the first wizard his age outside his family he had ever met. The rather talkative boy was lanky, tall but not as tall as Sirius, had a mischievous grin, and wore round glasses and had sparkling hazel eyes. The Black heir's gaze flicked back up to the wizard's eyes and found an abundance of the light magic his cousin Adromeda had told him he lacked exuding warmly from them. He felt a pang from some unusual emotion clenching at his chest tightly. Jealousy.

"I'm not _a_ Black. I am _the Black heir._ And, _No._ I don't like you at all."

He looked away from the wizard, who looked like 'Gryffindor fodder' if he had to take a guess from the descriptions of the four houses, and stared out the window. He would do well to stay far away from the likes of James Potter.

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**:-)**


	2. A Disgrace

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Author's Note: So, this is not Tuesday, but here I am updating. The reason? I've decided I like the idea of Friday updates more than Tuesday updates. Hehe. Yeah. So, Friday updates here on out. Probably. Unless I change it again. **

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**Chapter 2 - A Disgrace**

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"Suit yourself." The messy-haired wizard shrugged his shoulders, leaned back, pulled a duffle bag onto his lap and began rummaging through it.

"Is there room for two more?" A sandy-haired wizard stood, holding the door open, and looked between the two wizards. A short, chubby blond stood behind him, peering around his side.

Sirius looked over to the wizards curiously. The boy who had asked the question stood a few inches shorter than himself, had a lean build and tired eyes. His clothes while more proper than James's were clearly not newly purchased. _Definitely not a pureblood._

"Sure, come on in," James interrupted Sirius's thoughts, waving in the two boys without checking with his cabin-mate first. Sirius offered him a glare before looking back out the window.

"I'm James Potter, first year."

"Hi, I'm Remus Lupin and this is, uh..."

"-Peter Pettigrew."

"Yes, we're first years as well," the wizard named Remus said, his eyes flitting over to the quiet boy not joining in the conversation.

James saw the glance and offered in a loud voice. "That's the Black heir, he doesn't like people."

Sirius pushed his lips together firmly but didn't respond. He continued to watch the trees speed by as his parents' words ran through his mind. _Purebloods are not meant to interact with half-bloods and such. They're beneath us. Only blood-traitors consort with lesser wizards. _He had been right not to befriend the messy-haired wizard after all.

"I see," Remus responded, his gaze pinning the boy in a speculative manner. "Then perhaps we should leave him alone," he said quietly before lifting his trunk with apparent ease and putting it away on the shelf beside Sirius's.

Peter tried to pick up his own trunk but gave up very quickly and asked the sandy-haired boy to help him instead. Sirius watched out of the corner of his vision as the wizard leaned down and picked up the trunk like it weighed nothing.

The boy noticed his watchful gaze and offered a small nod of his head in response. Sirius nodded back before remembering he shouldn't. Remus flashed a small smile before sitting down on the bench beside James and turning his attention away.

Sirius leaned his head back and tried to fall asleep, wishing the trip was already over so he could be sorted into Slytherin and meet up with Adromeda and his other cousins.

"I want to be in Gryffindor. My father was in Gryffindor, and my mum was in Slytherin. But, I think Gryffindor sounds like much more fun," James chattered on as Remus nodded politely.

"What about you? Where do you want to be sorted, Remus?" James asked. Sirius's eyes remained shut as he listened, finding he wanted to join in on the conversation too but resisting.

"I don't know. I've read about all of them and, honestly, I think Ravenclaw might be a good fit. That or Gryffindor, I suppose. My father was in Gryffindor."

"I'd like to be in Gryffindor, too," Peter piped in. "My mum and dad were both Hufflepuffs. So, it might be nice, too."

Sirius heard poorly supressed sniggering and felt his own lips stubbornly trying to push themselves in an upward fashion.

"But probably Gryffindor," the boy amended quickly due to the laughs.

James burst out into laughter, and Sirius heard Remus join in with a quiet laugh. Sirius opened his eyes and sat up.

"I plan to be in Slytherin. My entire family has _always_ been in the house, and so I will be too," he said in a tone he realized was much more serious than the other boys' after the fact.

"You're Serious?" James asked, his eyebrows raised as he and the two other boys stared at the wizard across from them.

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. "How do you know my name?" he asked, running over their conversation in his mind. He had only told him his surname that he was certain. _He did say his mum is a Black. Maybe she's spoken of me._

"I'm sorry?" James asked, clearly confused.

Sirius frowned. "You asked me if I was Sirius, correct?"

James mirrored his frown. Peter pulled out an apple and took a large bite. Remus's eyes lit up.

"Your name is Sirius?" Remus asked.

Sirius eyed him warily. He knew he should do one of several things at that point. Ignore the wizard, insult him or hex him. "Yes. My name is Sirius Black," he said instead.

Remus's smile grew. "Nice to meet you," he said warmly. James smiled widely, and Peter grinned, juice from his apple leaking down his chin.

The Black heir felt the sudden urge to return the sentiment. He blinked, pushing the reckless feelings down.

"Of course it is," he said haughtily.

Remus's face dropped.

"What's wrong with you? You've got some ser-real issues, you know that, mate?" James said angrily.

Sirius glared at the boy, sitting across from him. "I'm not your _mate_," he said, his voice cold.

"Too right. I wouldn't dream of _ever_ being friends with a dark wizard like you!" James yelled, his temper rising quickly.

"_Dark wizard_! You don't _know_ me!" Sirius shouted back, pushing out of his seat and holding himself steady as the train rolled along at a racing speed.

James stood up quickly and took a step forward. "I don't need to. I can just tell," he said boldly.

Sirius felt his anger begin to grow and morph dangerously. "Take it back," he said, through clenched teeth, looking down his nose at the slightly shorter boy, his hands balled into fists tightly by his sides.

"No." James shoved him.

"You _touched_ me!" Sirius let out an angry noise, shoving the boy in front of him back.

"Guys, let's just calm down." Remus's words went unnoticed when James threw a punch, landing sloppily on the other boy's shoulder. Sirius returned the hit, but it landed squarely on James's nose.

"You tosser!" James yelled and swung again, hitting Sirius under his left eye. The taller wizard grabbed the boy, and they ended up on the floor, wrestling and kicking at each other.

"Stop it!"

Sirius felt himself grabbed by the collar of his robes and was jerked back off of the boy, who he had just managed to pin.

James pushed himself up quickly and glared at the wizard in front of him and made to attack again.

"Don't do it!" Remus warned James as he held Sirius back with just one hand.

James froze abruptly as he studied the scene. "Holy shit, Remus. You're _really_ strong," he said suddenly.

Remus's eyes widened and he let go of Sirius, who took a step back before looking at him like James had been. "He's right. You are bloody strong," he said, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to talk to him let alone compliment him.

Remus shrugged his shoulders and glanced away. "I work out," he said quietly.

James and Sirius looked to each other in disbelief. James had blood dripping from his nose, and the skin around Sirius's eye was red and beginning to swell. They broke out into laughter, their laughs growing when Remus insisted it was true.

"Oh, Merlin. That's rich. Remus, you're a funny bloke," James said between laughs.

Sirius nodded, looking over to James. "You're bleeding," he offered in a genial tone.

James flicked out his tongue and made a face. "Good hit."

Sirius reached a hand up to his eye and cringed when he touched the bruising skin. "You too," he said.

"I think the trolley is coming soon. Do you guys want to get some candy?" Peter asked, not sure what to make of the rowdy wizards.

James and Remus nodded excitedly and then turned to Sirius questioningly.

The tall wizard felt three sets of eyes on him as he considered the offer. _It's a long train ride. __It wouldn't hurt to be civil with them just until we get to school. Then I can make more appropriate friends, who my family will approve of._

"Sure, sounds good," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handful of coins, searching for some smaller currency.

"Bloody heck, are you rich or something?" Peter squeaked out as he stared, mouth agape, at the money in the boy's hand. Sirius didn't respond.

"Oi!" James yelled at the boy, giving him a warning look. Peter mumbled an apology.

"Let's go get some candy, shall we?" James said, smiling openly at the boy who he had just been fighting. Sirius felt himself return the infectious grin and nodded.

* * *

"I think I'm going to be sick," James moaned as he sat beside Sirius, empty wrappers from candies all over their shared seat and littering the floor around the two boys' feet. James and Sirius had let Remus and Peter buy their candy and then purchased practically all the rest, splitting the sizeable cost between them.

"I agree, but it's a good kind of sick," Sirius said, with a huge smile on his face as he looked across at Remus and Peter.

Remus had a small pile of candy, only chocolates, Sirius noted. Peter appeared to have eaten more than Sirius but didn't seem uncomfortable in the least.

The train horn blew loudly, announcing their imminent arrival at the school. Sirius and James moaned, their stomachs protesting as the train began to slow.

* * *

"Sirius Black," announced the severe professor, who had introduced herself as Professor McGonnagell when they had first arrived by boat. She was standing in front of the Great Hall, holding an old ratty hat and waiting for Sirius.

The tall boy walked up slowly, his face one of indifference as his stomach protested violently, and his breathing came and went in short undetectable bursts as he made his way across the platform. He looked down at the older students already seated and found himself very grateful that Remus had known how to heal his black eye and James's bloody nose. Andromeda waved to him from the Slytherin table, and he nodded slightly in response. He hadn't talked to her since their fight and was happy she didn't seem to have held it against him.

"Please have a seat, Mister Black," the Gryffindor professor said in a stern voice.

Sirius didn't look at her as he sat down on the stool, his eyes glancing around the Slytherin table for his other cousins. He spotted Bellatrix, who shot him an unnerving smile. He then noticed Narcissa, who's face was completely blank. _I'm going to end up like one of them. Crazy or stuck in my head_. He felt his chest clench, and found himself wishing just then he could have stayed on the train indefinitely.

The old hat settled down on his head, covering his eyes and blocking his vision. His magic surged unexpectedly. _Ah, interesting. Very interesting indeed,_ a foreign voice, which he assumed belonged to the enchanted hat, ran through his head. _Slytherin is where everyone will expect. No doubt it would fit you better than others I have placed there for sure. But I think... No, I think... not._ Sirius didn't have time to process the words before the hat shouted out in a deafening voice,

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The name bounced around in his head and the hall, echoing as the room quieted.

The hat was pulled off of Sirius, revealing a very expressive face and he stood up, his legs numb. _What are my parents going to say? What will they do to me?_ His eyes searched the Slytherin table to find nothing but thinly veiled hatred, disappointment or disgust until they landed on his closest cousin. She gave him an encouraging smile as Sirius walked solemnly towards the brash red and gold table. He sat down at the end, far away from everyone else. _Maybe I could be switched. I'll have to see if I can talk to Dumbledore. He seemed like a reasonable wizard. Maybe my parents won't be as upset if they know I took the initiative and righted it-_

"-Sirius, tough luck, mate!"

The dazed wizard looked up to see James Potter smiling impishly as he sat down beside him. He looked around the fuller table and noticed Remus Lupin was sitting across from him and beside the Pettigrew boy, and they were both flashing grins in his direction. He didn't remember them sitting down. They had all ended up in the same house. Sirius found himself returning the smiles.

* * *

"I can't believe we are dorm mates!" James exclaimed as he dug through his trunk, which was placed at the end of his bed, excitedly.

Sirius was lying on his made bed, quill and parchment in hand, considering how he would break the news to his parents. _Dearest Father and Mother, I just wanted to inform you that I have failed at achieving the only thing you actively expected of me from school. I have been placed in Gryffindor house and am rooming with an obvious blood-traitor, a half-blood and a chubby dolt of unspecified heritage. No no no. That won't do at all. _He angrily crossed out the letter.

"Writing your parents?"

Sirius started and looked up into dark hazel eyes. He blinked. He hadn't gotten a good look at Remus as he had been too busy avoiding him. He stood up quickly, leaving his botched letter on the bed. He took a step forward and stared into the sandy-haired boy's eyes. He gasped. There was a darkness swimming in the hazel gaze he had never experienced before. It almost felt dangerous. _But Remus is so nice..._

"Sirius? Are you okay?" Remus asked, swallowing uncomfortably as the dark-haired wizard stared into his eyes intensely.

Sirius nodded his head. "Yeah, you have creepy eyes, Lupin," he said off-handedly, being honest in a round-about way.

Remus took a step back. "Sorry," he mumbled uncomfortably and looked away.

Sirius grabbed his arm, causing Remus to look back at him. "No. No, I _like_ them," he insisted, happy with the comradely feeling it incited in him.

James let out a barking laugh. "You're an odd one, Sirius Black."

Sirius smiled, letting go of Remus's sleeve. "Not as odd as that new first-year Slytherin. Looks like he's never heard of soap before," he said boldly, suddenly proud he had made it into Gryffindor. _Don't get too used to it_, he reminded himself.

"Snake something, right?" Peter asked as he openly hid candy under his bed in front of his only dorm mates.

"I believe it was Snape," Remus offered.

"Ah, yes. That Evans's friend. Sevy, was that his first name?" James asked as he pulled out a deck of cards he had been searching for.

"Snivelly is more like it. Did you see his nose?" Sirius scoffed.

Remus frowned as James let out a loud laugh. Peter joined in quickly.

"_Snivelly_, I like that," James said as he walked to the center of the room and dropped unceremoniously to the floor. "Exploding snaps, anyone?"

* * *

"Aghh!"

"Stupid bird! Stay away!"

Sirius's eyes opened slowly. He yawned, stretching languidly in his curtained four-post bed. He blinked a few times as he tried to work out why he wasn't at home in his bed. _School. Right... Oh, no_. He groaned when he remembered the house he had been placed in just the night before and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head. _Maybe this is all just a really bad dream. I'll just go back to sleep and then wake up and everything will-_

"-Bad owl! Bad!"

"Help me! Somebody help!"

"Peter, are you stuck under there?"

Sirius slowly lifted his head, his pillow falling down his back. _What the?_

"Remus, you... How did you do that? You've tamed it! _Ow_! Stupid bird!"

"No, I think he's just confused by me is all. Look at how he keeps tilting his head as if he's studying me."

Sirius pulled back his curtains and peered curiously into the dorm. Peter had half his body wedged under his bed. James was sucking on his finger and glaring at-_Shit_. Sirius pushed himself out of his bed and walked nervously over to the black eagle owl perched on Remus's arm.

"Sorry guys. That's for me," he said, recognizing his family's owl. The owl looked at him with an air of familiarity but didn't leave its perch on Remus's arm. Sirius eyed the note warily attached to its leg, it was deep red-_Howler_. He untied the parchment, his hands holding the note with regret.

"Wow, a howler before classes have even started? That must be a record," James blurted out.

The owl hooted, looking up to Remus for his thoughts on the matter.

"He seems to have taken a shining to you," Sirius said thoughtfully as the owl stared up at Remus.

"Oh, uh. Animals tend to like me," Remus hedged. He pulled out a piece of chocolate from his pocket and fed it to his possible new friend. He waited until the bird had swallowed and then lifted his arm, encouraging the owl to take off and fly out the window.

"Aren't owls supposed to deliver at breakfast?" Peter asked, having gotten himself out from under his bed. He was rubbing his right hand, which was littered with scratches.

Sirius flipped the note over in his hand. "Yes, they are," he said, turning and walking towards his bed. He sat down on the edge and looked at the enchanted parchment, which seemed to have a life of its own as it inflated and deflated at a building pace. _Whatever they say won't matter as long as I get my house switched_, he told himself, trying to build up the courage to open it. He hated when his mother yelled at him.

The room remained unusually silent as Sirius's dorm mates waited to see what he would do. He glanced up at the three wizards and shot them a rueful smile. "Here goes nothing," he said, lifting the tab and breaking the Black family seal.

The letter spun out of his hands and flew up into the air in front of him. His mother's voice rang sharply through the room, assaulting the wizards' ears.

"Sirius Orion! You are an utter and complete shame to the noble and most ancient house of Black! Being placed in GRYFFINDOR, a house full of blood-traitors, halfbloods and mudbloods! You WORTHLESS ingrate of a son! You WILL rectify this and you WILL do it quickly, or you will have your father's wrath to deal with! NO EXCEPTIONS!" The letter stopped suddenly and burst into flames.

Sirius stared down at his feet as the words washed over him. _She hates me._ He blinked rapidly, his eyes stinging fiercely as a lump in the back of his throat tried to choke him. _No. No_. He pushed the feelings away and down, far down. He looked up, his eyes brimming with coldness, and smiled widely at the three wizards. "Lovely lady, my mother," he said in a feigned cheerful tone.

James let out a shocked laugh. Peter made a noise mixed between a cough and laugh, seemingly choking on his own spit. Remus looked at Sirius, his gaze half contemplative and half sympathetic.

Sirius turned away from his dorm mates abruptly and walked over to his trunk. _Showers. Breakfast. Fix this. Right._

"Sirius, are you-"

"-Sorry, Lupin, I don't have time to talk," he said in a clipped tone, cutting off the wizard, and made his way to the showers. He shouldn't have been so cordial to him. He was a half-blood after all. He had let that slip his mind. He would remember in the future.

* * *

"Sirius, love! Over here," Bellatrix called in a sing-songy voice from the Slytherin table when Sirius entered the Great Hall alone. He walked over stiffly and sat down beside the seventh-year. He ignored the sneers he received and reached for a giant sticky roll and placed it on his plate. _Never show fear._

"It's terrible what they did to you, my poor dear," Bellatrix cooed in his ear as she ran a hand along his black hair, petting him. He held back a shiver.

He shrugged indifferently. "I have requested a meeting with the headmaster and until then I am only required to sleep in the dorm. Otherwise I can eat with, interact with and _ignore_ whomever I choose," he said in a straight-forward manner. He ignored the guilty feeling welling in his chest. _They're not my friends, I barely even know them. _

Narcissa looked over at him as if she were studying him, but her expression remained numb.

"_Exactly_. I will take care of you," the raven-haired witch said silkily, running a long fingernail affectionately along his cheek.

"Thank you, Bella," he said, reminding himself that his mother said he would one day be head of the Black family and must not show weakness among lesser members even if they were older. He looked around the table. Who was suitable company if even his own family was inferior? He took a bite of the breakfast bun and thought how oddly tasteless it was. He suddenly felt very alone amongst the sea of Slytherins.

* * *

**:-)**


	3. Lines

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Author's Note: Wednesday is like the weekday of Fridays. Hehe.**

**If you are a new reader, I would like to take a moment to say hello. Hello. I hope you enjoy this story. Hmmm. Yeah, that's all I've got. **

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Lines**

* * *

"Sirius, you haven't been eating with us, mate!" James said by way of greeting as he walked into the dorm late Tuesday night.

Classes wouldn't start up until the following Monday as the first week was orientation to the grounds, curriculum and staff. Sirius had spent the first full day either in Bellatrix's or Narcissa's company. They seemed to have come to some sort of agreement that Andromeda was not suitable company for the Black heir. Sirius sighed and turned around. He stood in front of his bed with an unaffected look on his face as he smoothed down his sleeping shirt.

"Yes, Potter. I spent it with my cousins instead. We are very close," he added the last sentence for some reason.

James frowned. "You're close to that bat-shit crazy witch and the frost-queen?" he asked in an unbelieving voice.

Sirius took a menacing step toward the wizard. "_Don't_ speak of my family like that," he said in a threatening tone.

James lifted his hands in an appeasing manner. "Sorry, it's just... Sorry, I guess I misunderstood you."

Sirius took another step forward. "And just _what_ do you mean by that?" he asked, his tone growing more harsh. "They are Purebloods and of impeccable standing, much better company than anyone in _this_ house."

James bristled and took a step forward, leaving only a foot between them. "I meant that I thought you were an okay bloke. But, I _must_ have been mistaken."

"There you are, James. Peter was looking for you-Oh, sorry," Remus said glancing between the two wizards. "Should I go?"

"Yes."

"_No_," James said defiantly. "This is your room too, Remus. You can stay if you want to." He shot Sirius a challenging look.

Sirius fought the urge to make eye-contact with Remus. "Sod off, Potter." He turned rigidly and made his way to his bed, ignoring Remus's presence altogether.

"You're such a git, Black," James spat at the boy's back.

Sirius spun back around. "How _dare_ you say that about me!" He walked back quickly towards the other boy, his eyes flashing with indignation. He stopped only inches from him, using his height to his advantage as he looked down at him.

"It's not my fault if you're a bloody git," James growled out, not appearing to mind the extra inches the wizard had on him.

"You had better not call me that again," Sirius snarled, his fists clenching by his side.

"Oh yeah?" James asked, laughing harshly. "What are you going to do, you stupid... _git_."

Sirius punched James in the stomach. The wizard groaned and kicked Sirius in the shin.

"Bloody hell!" Sirius yelped, jumping on one leg as he rubbed the other. He stood on both legs, wincing in pain. "You're such an asshole!" he yelled.

James opened his mouth to retort when Remus started laughing suddenly.

The two wizards looked over to see the sandy-haired wizard by the door leaned over in a fit of laughter. Sirius and James exchanged confused looks, forgetting their fight momentarily.

"What's so funny?" James asked.

Remus stood up, sighing as he tried to stop laughing. "That was the most pathetic fight I've ever seen," he forced out between sobs of laughter.

James fought a smile but lost. Sirius shook his head as a laugh tried to escape his lips.

"Yeah, I guess it kinda was," James said, letting out a laugh despite himself.

Sirius nodded begrudgingly. "You're crazy, Lupin," he said, his tone not coming out as hostile as he would have liked.

Remus grinned. "Maybe," he said, walking over and putting Sirius in a headlock. The Black heir let out an affronted noise.

"Let go of me right now!" he roared.

Remus ignored him, his unusual strength easily holding the squirming wizard in his grip. "No, then James won't have a clear hit," he said calmly.

"What! _No_!" The wizard doubled his efforts to escape, his hands pulling uselessly at Remus's arm.

James grinned widely at Remus before turning and grabbing his pillow from his bed. He let out a war cry and smacked the tall wizard with his pillow. Remus laughed and let go of Sirius after he had been hit a few times and his curses had gotten especially harsh.

Sirius stood up, staggering in a very un-heiresque manner before straightening himself. He smoothed his clothes and glared darkly at the two wizards. "You'll pay dearly for that," he said, his voice like ice.

Remus and James exchanged slightly worried looks.

Sirius spun around, grabbed his own pillow and smacked Remus upside the face, causing him to fall over. The three wizards erupted into peals of laughter. James and Sirius began smacking each other viciously as Remus discreetly secured his own pillow from his bed top.

"Hey guys, wha-" Peter froze when he garnered the attention of his dorm mates and noticed their manic looks. "I think I'll just be-." He turned to run but was ambushed before he could make it out of the room to safety.

* * *

"Oh, my head hurts," James groaned as he held a hand to his head. "Are you sure you didn't hide a brick in your case, Remus?" He laid down on the cold hardwood floor as the four boys sat in the center of the dorm, having worn themselves out with their surprisingly painful pillow battle. They had a pile of candy set in the middle of them that was left over from the train.

Remus rubbed the side of his neck. "Sorry, James. I didn't know I was hitting too hard. Are you okay?" he asked in a worried tone.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Sorry James, I just don't know my own strength," he said in his best impersonation of Remus, reclining onto his side and grinning up at the sandy-haired wizard. _I can't be hostile all the time. We live together,_ he reasoned to his rebelling mind.

James laughed but groaned when his head throbbed at the action. "He's right you know. How did you really get so ridiculously tough, Remus?"

Remus looked around at the prying eyes. "Uh," he said. "I'm not that strong," he tried.

James and Sirius started laughing. Peter joined in with a confused look on his face as he reached into the communal pile and pulled out a chocolate frog box.

"I've never met a wizard who wanted to downplay his own strength," James said in confused amusement.

"Well, Remus is definitely not your _usual_ wizard," Sirius supplied, lying on his back before reaching out for a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and eyeing it closely. _I wonder how my meeting will go with Dumbledore tomorrow_, he thought as he tossed the box high up into the air before catching it easily with one hand.

Remus pushed himself up from the floor. "I'm not unusual," he said in an unsure voice, an emotion flitting across his face before disappearing.

Sirius sat up abruptly. He recognized that expression. It was akin to the look that graced his face when he thought about what Andromeda had told him the night of his party. He felt a pang of guilt. "Remus," he paused, knowing he shouldn't continue his train of thought verbally. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way." He held back the growl threatening to escape his chest directed at himself. Why did he say that?

"Y-you didn't?" Remus asked, looking down at him, his gaze checking him for any signs of deceit.

Sirius cleared his throat. "No, you're a good weird. Or unusual. Or whatever," he said, his mouth seemingly running of its own accord.

James had remained silent, smiling as he watched the interaction between his two dorm mates. He finally spoke up. "Very good whatever," he said warmly.

Peter grinned. "Yes, you're a great weird," he added.

Remus's stance relaxed and he sat back down. "Thanks guys," he said softly. "At least I think so," he said before laughing, his friends joining in.

* * *

Sirius rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, his curtains blocking out most of the early morning sun. It was Wednesday. He was to meet with Dumbledore in a few hours. He bit his lip. He knew what he had to do, what he was supposed to do, but he wasn't sure if it was what he truly wanted.

He hadn't spoken to any of the Slytherin wizards his age, but he had watched them. He shivered when he thought of the creepy Snape wizard. He then thought over the other wizards in his year. They were all so cold and harsh looking. _Like me when I'm around them_. The thought pushed uncomfortably at his mind. Would he start being like that all the time without his Gryffindor dorm mates to tease him out of it?

"Rise and shine, witches!" James's voice pierced the silence of the sleepy room.

"Ugh, James, get off you _stupid prat_!" Remus growled grumpily from his bed. Sirius had been terribly amused the other morning when he had discovered that the usually soft-spoken boy was a surprisingly mean morning-person.

"Ahh!" James cried out, his exclamation was followed shortly by a loud thump and groan.

Sirius grinned and sat up, pushing his curtains open just in time to see James leaping onto a sleeping Peter.

* * *

"So are you going to spend the day with your two mummies again?" James asked casually as he loosened his tie, that he had just finished fixing up, to the point it looked like it might come undone.

Sirius closed his eyes. He took in a deep breath and opened them once more as he tightened his own tie in a severe fashion. He ignored the discomfort and buttoned his cuffs. "Why do you ask?" he asked evasively.

James shrugged, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips as he pushed his feet into his new shoes without untying them. He stomped down on his right foot when he couldn't get it in, bending the leather as he did. "Just thought you might decide you were old enough to leave their sides now. Or are you still on the teat?"

Sirius glared at the grinning wizard. "You're a bloody bastard, Potter!"

James walked over to Remus's freshly made bed and plopped down on it, messing the sheets. "What do you think, Remus?" he asked, staring over innocently at the purposely-silent wizard rifling through his trunk.

Remus arched an eyebrow at the wizard, who was ruining his hard work. "I think we should leave Sirius alone. He can hang out with whomever he chooses," he said before looking back down for his tie he had misplaced.

Sirius felt a swell of gratitude towards the sandy-haired boy. "See. You should listen to Remus, here." He turned away to hide the frown pushing at his mouth. He didn't want to spend time with the Slytherins again, but he had no choice. He would be there soon enough so he should just get used to it. He had his meeting in only a few hours.

"What about you, Peter?" James called out, clearly not willing to give up so quickly.

The short wizard looked around nervously from his sitting position on his bed. "Uh. I don't know," he said quietly.

"What do you _mean_, you don't know? You don't have an opinion?" James asked irritably, his voice full of frustration.

Peter said nothing, his eyes widening in distress.

"Leave him alone, James," Remus sighed, standing up and walking over to his bed. He pushed the boy's shoed feet off his bed.

James sat up. "_Fine_. Forget it," he snapped, glaring angrily at Sirius's back. "I'm sure you and Snivelly will make great friends. Maybe you'll even be best mates!"

Sirius spun around, a look of outrage on his face. _Don't let him trick you. He's only trying to change your mind. You won't even talk to him probably after today's meeting if things go well. _He pushed away the doubt warring with his thoughts and stalked out of the dorm silently.

* * *

"Sirius, there you are!" Andromeda grabbed hold of her cousin from behind before his hand could grasp the handle to the door of the Great Hall. She pulled him away and towards the stairs leading to the front doors instead.

"What are you doing, Andromeda?" he asked in a surprised tone.

The witch looked back at him and winked. "Kidnapping you, of course," she said lightly as she led him down the stairway.

"But, I haven't eaten breakfast yet," Sirius protested.

"Don't worry, I won't let you starve," she said, pushing the front door open eagerly and tugging him outside.

Sirius looked out onto the grounds and breathed in deeply. The sun was shining and the air was refreshingly cool. His stomach rumbled. "You mentioned food?"

"I did, come on!" she yelled, letting go of his sleeve and running ahead. "Race you to that hut!" she yelled over her shoulder.

Sirius's eyes widened and he took off, running after her, quickly gaining on the witch with his longer strides. He passed her as they drew closer to the hut and he let out a victorious laugh when he hopped onto the stairs, deciding they were as good as any make-shift finish line.

"You've gotten faster," the witch noted as she pulled up beside him, a huge smile playing on her lips before she reached up and pulled back the heavy knocker on the wooden door before releasing it.

Sirius frowned and opened his mouth to speak when the door pulled open suddenly.

"Well 'ello there Dromeda. And who's this 'ere?"

Sirius stared up in undisguised horror at a beast of a man, standing at the doorstep of the hut they had raced to. _The Gameskeeper. No. No. No._ He turned to leave, but his cousin grabbed his arm, stopping him.

"Hello, Hagrid. This is Sirius. He's my little cousin. I've brought him for breakfast," she said politely to the monstrosity.

"What?" Sirius choked out. _I can't eat with him. Is he even a wizard? He looks more like an animal!_

"Is tha' so!" The Gameskeeper made a roaring noise, that caused Sirius to jump back.

"He's just laughing," Andromeda whispered, smiling impishly, her hand still gripping his arm. "No need to be afraid."

Sirius stiffened. "I'm not scared," he whispered back.

"Well come on in!" the gameskeeper named Hagrid said in a thick accent, turning and walking back into his hut, the floorboards creaking under his weight.

"Thanks, Hagrid!" Andromeda walked in ahead of Sirius, smiling back at him knowingly.

_I'm not scared_. He stepped in imperiously, his upper lip curling up on one side in distaste as he looked around the cluttered hut. He walked over to the cooktop to see more closely what was for breakfast. _A slab of raw meat_? A sudden loud bark made him jump.

"Fang, no!" Hagrid roared, causing a giant dog to whimper and take a step back from Sirius. The wizard spun around to see a dog only a few inches shorter than him staring at him with watery eyes.

"'E jus' thought you were goin' to take his food. E's really nice," Hagrid insisted as he began to set giant dishes on a tall wooden table.

Sirius nodded, not speaking as he eyed the dog doubtfully. The canine lowered its head and tilted it, looking up at him curiously. Sirius smiled and found himself reaching out a hand and petting him on the head. The dog made a grunting noise of contentment and sat down, allowing Sirius to scratch behind his ears.

"Looks like he likes you, Sirius," Andromeda said from her seat at the wooden table. She smiled widely. "I remember when Bella met him, he tried to bite her hand off," she said and then started laughing.

"No, 'e jus'. Well, 'e is a dog," Hagrid said, clearly agreeing with the witch. "Let's eat." He set down a huge plate of bacon and steak and pulled out his chair.

* * *

"I don't think I'll be able to eat another bite today," Sirius groaned as he walked out of the hut with a stomach full of fried meat.

"Yeah," Andromeda rubbed her equally full stomach. "Just be happy he didn't serve us rock cakes. I had to have Madam Pomfrey repair three teeth after that meal."

Sirius let out a surprised laugh. "Why do you go down there anyway?" he asked as they walked up the hill towards the castle.

The witch sighed. "He's my friend, Sirius," she said in a tone that made Sirius feel like he should have known better.

Sirius stiffened. "But, Andromeda. He's, he's a... I don't even know. But, he's _not_ a pureblood!" Sirius yelled, feeling slightly unhinged for some reason.

The witch stopped suddenly, they stood halfway between the hut and the castle. "Sirius, you know that just because people tell you _things_ are a certain way. It doesn't mean you can't make up your own mind."

Sirius froze. _What_? "I'm sorry?"

The witch flopped down in the grass. Sirius sat down beside her, despite having the urge to leave.

"Do you like your dorm mates in Gryffindor, Sirius?" she asked, her voice suddenly soft as she stared out at the tree line.

Sirius pulled up a handful of green grass and held it up in his palm, watching the wind blow it away. "Yeah, I mean... they're _okay_. If you like having fun or what not."

Andromeda let out a laugh and nudged the wizard's shoulder with her own. "I'm pretty sure everyone likes that but Cissy, Sirius."

Sirius frowned. What was she trying to say? That he should stay in Gryffindor and have his parents hate him just because he thought his dorm mates were _fun_? "You're in Slytherin," he said accusingly.

Andromeda nodded slowly. "I am," she paused, her voice wistful. "And I absolutely fucking hate it," she said, her eyes flashing with an uncharacteristic fury.

Sirius's chin dropped. "What?"

She turned to him and said boldly, "I. Hate. It. You know, I asked the Sorting Hat to put me in Slytherin. It wanted to put me in Gryffindor. And, I regret it _every_ day." She shot him a meaningful look.

Sirius looked down at the ground. He felt his chest tighten with anxiety. Would he hate it too? He stood up suddenly. "Thanks for breakfast, Andromeda. I have to go though," he said abruptly, remembering his meeting with Dumbledore. He needed to catch up with his other two cousins before he went to it.

The witch sighed. "Right. See you around, Sirius," she said in a weary tone, not making any attempt to join him, her gaze moving back to the forest.

"See you," Sirius said shortly before turning and making his way back to the castle alone. He pulled open the heavy front door.

"Sirius, good to see you!-_Run_!" James shouted as he ran out the open door, grabbing hold of the wizard's arm and pulling him back outside.

"Wha-" Sirius pulled away and stopped, turning to see what James was running from.

"-You'll pay for that, _Potter_!" a red-headed witch yelled as she stepped out of the castle, her eyes flashing with an intense ferocity. "_You_, you're his friend!" she yelled accusingly at Sirius and took a step towards him.

Sirius's eyes widened and he inexplicably turned and ran after the laughing wizard. He followed him down to the lake, the witch's threats chasing after them as they ran.

James stopped at a tree and leaned on the base, panting heavily, as he waited for Sirius to catch up. The messy-haired wizard started laughing again as he slid down the trunk of the tree and settled on the ground.

"What did you do to her?" Sirius asked, looking over his shoulder to confirm the witch hadn't left the steps. She was standing there waving a fist angrily towards them. Sirius turned back to James.

"She's a feisty one," James said in answer and laughed again. "I didn't do _anything_ to her. She's just upset on behalf of her greasy Slytherin friend, Snivelly," James said flippantly, a huge grin on his face.

Sirius continued to stand, because sitting and talking sounded really nice. _Good logic,_ he scoffed at himself and then ignored it. He started to leave.

"Aren't you curious as to what I did?" James asked in a taunting tone.

Sirius paused. He was actually. Very much in fact.

"I got my father to send me this," James said with a mischievous grin, pulling out a wand and twirling it casually.

Sirius's eyes followed the wand's motion and he dropped to the ground. They weren't supposed to have their wands until next week when classes started.

James's smile widened. "I thought so. I made up a sign that said 'Please donate to my soap bar fund,' and used a sticking charm my father taught me to stick it to Snivelly's back. He was _so_ angry, you should have seen it!" James said gleefully.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "That's ingenious," he said, picturing the Slytherin wizard's reaction. He looked around him. "Where are Remus and Peter?"

James's smile dropped. "Oh. Well... Remus said he thought it was _mean_ and Peter. Well, he looked like he was going to piss himself he was so scared when I told him our target, so I let him off." The wizard looked decidedly unhappy.

"Well, too bad," Sirius said, "They missed out."

James's smile returned. "Yeah, they did. Didn't they?"

"-Mr. Potter! Mr. Black!"

The two boys looked up to see a fuming Professor McGonagall making her way towards them.

* * *

**:-)**


	4. Devil's Snare

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter**

**Author's Note: Okay, so I officially suck at updating on a specific day. :-P If that bothers you, I apologize profusely. Fortunately, I am erring on the side of more versus less frequent posts. But, still. Yeah. **

* * *

**Chapter 4 - Devil's Snare**

* * *

"I don't know why I got detention, too!" Sirius complained as he polished a Quidditch trophy by hand. He would have to reschedule his meeting with Dumbledore. Professor McGonnagal had said she would let the headmaster know why he wouldn't be in attendance.

"Stop complaining, you pansy," James said, tossing his rag at the wizard and hitting him in the face. He started laughing loudly when it stuck instead of falling straight off.

Sirius turned his head slowly, the polishing rag dropping from his face, and glared at his dorm mate. "You think that was funny, do you?"

"No," James said simply, looking through the trophies yet to be polished. "I _know_ it was."

Sirius shook his head and a begrudging smile made its way up his lips. "I hate you, Potter."

"Look at this," James said suddenly, ignoring the other wizard's slight. He held up a golden cup, his eyes dancing with excitement. He pointed to the plaque on the cup.

Sirius leaned in curiously and read the name out loud that James's finger was pointing to, "Charlus Potter, seeker." Sirius looked up at his friend, who was smiling proudly. "Your father was a seeker for the school?"

"Yes, a bloody good one, too. This is their Quidditch cup they won." He sat the trophy down and leaned over to pick up his thrown rag. "I want to be a chaser though. Do you like Quidditch?"

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "My parents aren't really into stuff like that. I mean, I know about it, but I haven't tried it out yet," he said, unsure with talking about his family to the wizard.

"Well, we'll just have to change that," James said matter-of-factly.

Sirius arched an eyebrow. "How's that?" he asked, trying to come across as indifferent but failing.

"Simple, nobody's out at the Quidditch pitch after dark, right?" he asked, a smile slowly forming on his lips.

Sirius smiled back. "Yes, that's right. All we'd need is a _wand _to open the broom shed," he said in an insinuating manner.

"Exactly," James responded.

* * *

"Where have you been!"

Sirius held back a cringe. "Around," he said in an evasive manner, sitting down beside Bellatrix at dinner. He had missed his meeting with Dumbledore and both breakfast and lunch with his cousins. His day had been surprisingly enjoyable though. He looked across at Narcissa, who eyed him curiously before looking away, her mask going back up.

"_Around_? Have you been consorting with those treacherous Gryffindors, Sirius?" she asked in too loud of a voice, earning them several glares from the nearby table of gold and red.

Sirius pushed his lips together. "Quiet down, Bella," he said calmly, despite feeling anything but calm. He was still in the house, he didn't need to make enemies.

"_What_ did you say to me?" the witch hissed angrily at his side.

Sirius shoved himself up out of his seat. "I said, _shut up_," he said forcefully, glaring down at his older cousin. Gasps shot up from around them.

The witch's eyes widened only for a second before narrowing. She stood up, her gaze calculating. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" she asked boldly.

Sirius pushed back his shoulders. "No, but I think _you have_," he countered, mimicking his father's intimidating stance, his own gaze equaling hers as he waited for a response.

The witch stood frozen in place for a few beats before slowly dropping down into her seat. Her eyes filled with fury as she slowly began to eat her food once more.

Sirius turned and walked off, ignoring the whispers and not so much whispers over what had just happened as he made his way towards the door. _What did I just do_? He shoved the door to the Great Hall open loudly, letting it slam behind him.

* * *

"Come on, Remus."

"Yeah, be fun."

Remus laughed in amusement but shook his head adamantly from his seat on his bed, a book in his lap. "I don't think sneaking out after curfew and breaking into the broom shed to fly illegally qualifies as fun."

Peter glanced between the boys from his own bed with an unsure look on his face as he nibbled on a cupcake he had brought up from dinner. He had said it was for Sirius but happily kept it when the wizard had declined.

Sirius sat on James's bed beside the other dark-haired wizard, eating his dinner that the boys had brought up for him shortly after watching him storm out of the Great Hall. After his fight with his cousin. _Just don't think about it, _he reminded himself_._ Sirius shoved a large bite of roll into his mouth and spoke around the food.

"But you _have_ to come. It just won't be the same without you." He shot the wizard a crooked grin.

"You're such a ponce, Sirius," James scoffed, shoving his friend playfully.

Sirius laughed and scooped up a spoon of mashed potatoes before flicking it at him.

"Tosser!" James yelled, wiping his face with his sleeve.

"I'll have you know that my family is open to same-sex relations," Sirius huffed. He ignored the look of shock on the other wizards' faces and then added, "As long as you keep it a secret and still produce an heir and marry respectably, of course."

"Well, uh, that's-that's very open of them," James forced out as Remus and Peter continued to stare.

Sirius took a bite of roast, looking down at his plate, a sudden feeling of recklessness urging unadvisable words from his mouth. "I don't know about _that_. They're just a lot of crazy bastards is all."

The dorm filled with easy laughter once more.

* * *

"So, how did you manage to get Remus to come along?" James asked in a whisper as he and Sirius made their way around the moonlit broom closet. Remus and Peter were up in the stands, waiting for them. The two wizards hadn't wanted to fly but agreed to sneak out with them anyway.

Sirius shrugged, his hands running over the brooms as they passed them. "I just kept asking him over and over again."

James nodded in an impressed manner. He went to pick up a decent-looking broom but decided against it and continued walking. "I'm surprised he didn't hit you."

"Oh, he did." Sirius rubbed his left shoulder gently, grimacing slightly at the concealed bruise. "But, then he felt so bad about it afterwards that he said he'd come," Sirius said matter-of-factly.

James stopped. He picked up a sleek-looking broom and grabbed a matching one beside it. "These will work. I can't wait until we are allowed to have our own brooms at school," he whispered in awe, handing one of the nicer brooms to Sirius.

The taller wizard smiled as he held it in his hands. It was lighter than he had expected. He wondered if his parents would buy him a broom for Christmas if he asked.

James ran his hand along the polished wood in a reverent manner, his eyes glazing over as he daydreamed.

Sirius felt a rush of excitement. "Well, let's go try these out. That is... If you're finished fondling your broom." Sirius dead-panned.

"Wanker." James punched the wizard in his already sore arm, eliciting a groan from him.

* * *

"That was amazing!" Sirius said excitedly. Images of brooms and making the Quiddtich team and winning the Cup raced through his mind.

"I know. You're a ruddy great flyer, Sirius. We can try out for the team together next year!" James exclaimed, equally excited.

"Yeah." Sirius's eyes took on a faraway quality. "And then Remus and Peter could come to all our games and watch us in the stands!"

"I hate you both," Remus piped in. The sandy-haired wizard was leaned over a toilet in the fourth-floor boy's bathroom as he scrubbed it with a toothbrush.

"He's so cute when he's angry," James cooed, standing casually with a mop in his right hand but not using it for its intended purpose.

Sirius nodded agreeably as he smiled at his own reflection in the newly polished mirror.

"I can't believe Peter got away before Filch caught up to us. You'd never think his chubby legs could move so fast."

"Sirius, that's not nice," Remus chastised.

"I know. He's a sneaky little bugger," James replied, glancing around for Filch before pulling out his wand and cleaning the floors quickly with a scrubbing charm he had learned from his mother. "And I thought that would never come in handy," he said, eyeing his work happily as he placed his wand back in his robes.

Remus and Sirius turned slowly towards their friend, matching looks of disbelief on their faces.

"You are so dead, Potter," Sirius said darkly as he stalked towards his friend.

James's eyes widened and he looked to Remus for help. The sandy-haired wizard nodded slowly, his toothbrush dropping to the floor.

"I agree wholeheartedly, Sirius."

* * *

"Yes, yes, yes," Sirius murmured fervently under his breath as he sat on his bed. He stared down at an open rectangular wooden box with a thirteen inch, black wand snugly packed inside it, packaged plushly with a blood-red velvet material. He slowly picked up the wand and felt a surge of magic run down his arm and into the wand and then an answering but slightly different magic run back up his arm and into his body, the hum of his amplified magic tingling at his fingertips. He smiled.

"It's here!" Sirius stood up from his bed and held up his wand victoriously early Sunday morning, the day before classes started.

"Great. Now we have twice the wand power for tonight," James said from his bed, not glancing up, as he went through a gift package his mother had sent.

"What kind of wood is that?" Remus asked curiously, standing up from his bed and walking over to take a look. He was still waiting on the wand he had been matched with a few weeks back.

"Dogwood," Sirius answered as he ran a finger along the passed down wand.

"It's awfully big," Peter said, having made his way over.

Sirius and James burst into laughter, and Remus failed in holding back a grin. Peter frowned in confusion but then quickly joined in.

"The core is basilisk skin. This was my great-great grandfather Phineas Nigellus Black's wand."

"Aren't you supposed to be matched with a wand?" James asked curiously, finally standing up and walking over to get a better look at the wand.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "It's tradition in my family for the first born males to inherit as well as pass along their wands. Ollivander came and checked for compatibility beforehand. He told me that basilisk skin is _very_ rare in wands. Although, he seemed more interested in the dogwood," Sirius said studying the dark wand thoughtfully.

"Can I see it?" James asked, reaching a hand out expectantly.

"Sure." Sirius handed it over to the other boy.

James's eyes widened. He handed the wand back quickly. "I don't think it likes me." He rubbed his hand on his slacks.

"Why do you say that?"

James shivered. "I don't know. It just felt angry, and it started heating up."

Sirius frowned. "That's odd. It's very cool to the touch for me." He looked over to Remus as he considered what he was about to do. _Nobody needs to know_. "Here Remus, what do you think?"

The wizard looked down at the proffered wand. He reached out a hand and took it carefully. Remus frowned as he waited for the wand to do something. He handed it back. "Feels cool to me, too."

Peter watched on with a sense of anticipation but said nothing.

"Looks like you and Remus are kindred spirits," James said, eyeing the sandy-haired blond with a slightly speculative look.

"Or maybe it's just a well-behaved wand and can sense your mischief," Remus countered.

"Yes, you're a _bad_ seed, James Potter," Sirius said with a smirk.

James shoved him with a laugh, and Sirius punched him in the shoulder in return.

Remus took a few steps back, moving out of the way when the two boys ended up on the floor wrestling each other.

* * *

"Classes are going to be so easy this year," Sirius said as he strolled along beside James the morning of their first day of classes. They had already attended Transfiguration and History of Magic, which they shared with Hufflepuff house. Remus and Peter walked behind them as they made their way through the busy corridor to the Great Hall for lunch.

"I know. Especially Transfiguration. Although I'm not sure if Professor McGonogall likes us much," James said with a mischievous grin.

Sirius scoffed. "No, she _loves_ us." He smiled when he heard Remus behind him try to disguise a laugh with an unconvincing cough.

"Hi, Sirius," a blonde second-year Slytherin witch greeted the tall black-haired boy as they passed each other.

"Hi, Evie," he said, flashing the older, blue-eyed girl a winning smile.

The witch blushed and continued walking, her friends giggling by her side.

James turned to watch the witch walk away. "Who is _that_?"

Sirius didn't look back. "Evie Greengrass. Her family is friends with my family."

"She's really pretty," James said, walking backward as he watched the blonde turn the corner before spinning back around.

"Yeah, she's okay," Sirius said, pulling open the door to the Great Hall and walking in. "I'm starving."

Sirius sat down at the Gryffindor table ignoring the scathing looks he was receiving from the Slytherin table. He was not going to sit by Bellatrix after the other day.

"Think you could introduce me?" James asked as he sat down beside his friend, Remus and Peter sitting on the other side.

"I could, but I don't think you're her type," Sirius said, taking a bite of the bread he had just buttered.

"What's her type?" James asked, looking like he might be willing to rethink his life for the blonde witch he had seen in passing.

"_Me_," Sirius said with a grin.

Remus looked up from his plate. Peter continued to eat from his overloaded plate.

"What do you mean? _You_." James frowned.

"I mean. She's liked me ever since we used to play healer together when we were little," he said in an off-handed manner. He winked at the sandy-haired boy across the table from him.

"That's rubbish," James said in a determined voice and began filling his empty plate. "Once she got to know _me_ she'd change her mind I'm sure." He glared at his laughing friend and turned to Remus. "What do _you_ think, Remus?"

"Well, I don't really know her, so I couldn't say. She did seem rather into Sirius though," he said before taking a bite of chicken.

"See, I _told_ you. Don't worry though. I'm not interested," the taller boy said, taking another bite of his bread before smiling with full cheeks at the disgruntled boy sitting beside him.

"But why not?" James asked, completely confused.

"She's just too...too something. I don't know. I'm very picky." Sirius reached over to a platter full of cookies and grabbed one.

James shook his head.

Sirius's attention was peaked when he heard what sounded like his name come from the Slytherin table. He glanced over and saw three Slytherin first-year wizards eyeing him warily.

"Potions is next, right?" Peter asked, searching through his bag for his class schedule.

"Sure is," James said, his gaze following Lily Evans and Severus Snape and settling on the latter as they left the Great Hall together. "It's thoughtful of the teachers to give us some entertainment during our classes."

Sirius kept his gaze on the boys until the one in the middle nodded curtly at him.

Sirius nodded back slowly.

"-Sirius!"

Sirius started and turned to see James looking at him expectantly.

"Well? Are you?"

"I'm sorry?" Sirius asked, not having heard anything the boy had said.

"James, just leave it," Remus said as he put his napkin down on the table.

Sirius frowned and looked between the two wizards. "Leave what?"

Remus shot James a warning glare, but the boy ignored him.

"I _said_, are you sitting with us or the snakes in Potions and Charms?"

Sirius felt anger instantly surge in his chest, but he tried to tamp it back down. "Why do you ask?"

James rolled his eyes. "Because, it'll be _boring_ if you don't sit with us. So?"

Sirius glanced again at the three Slytherin wizards and then back at his own dorm mates. "Them," he said shortly and then stood up. "I'm finished," he added, expecting the wizard to stand up and join him.

James looked up at him, a stubborn look settling on his features. "Well, go on then," he said, looking away and reaching for another biscuit to eat.

"Whatever, Potter." Sirius lifted his chin and turned away, walking towards the doors and feeling anger and confusion. _How dare he slight me_, he fumed as he pulled open the door and walked out into the mostly abandoned hallway, not addressing the fact that he had done the same to the wizard and first.

"Sirius, wait!"

Sirius turned around to see Remus jogging to catch up with him. He refused to allow the smile fighting to push up his lips win. "Hey, Remus," he said calmly.

Remus smiled and slowed as he pulled up next to him. "Hey, I was finished, too," he said and began to walk beside him quietly.

Sirius nodded. They walked silently for a few minutes until they reached a door that lead to the courtyard.

"Want to go outside for a bit?" Remus asked, motioning to the exit.

Sirius shrugged, but pulled open the door. "Peter stayed with James?" he asked.

Remus shot him an arched look. "He did," he said, looking like he was trying to hold something back.

Sirius nodded. "I wonder when he's going to tell James about his undying love for him."

Remus let out the laugh that had been trying to escape. "You're not very nice," he said half-heartedly as they walked out into the grass. The day was surprisingly sunny.

Sirius grinned, his lips curling up the corners of his mouth in an impressive fashion and lending admirably to his darker features.

"I never said I was, Remus."

He shoved the sandy-haired boy and then took off when Remus made to retaliate, his longer legs giving him a quick escape from the abnormally strong wizard.

* * *

**:-)**


	5. Friends

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Stephen Hunt is known to have said, 'Even a broken clock is right twice a day.' This saying is not relevant here, but it is true.**

**Early update, shorter chapter. Hmm.**

* * *

**Chapter 5 - Friends**

* * *

"I'm Jonathan Goyle. This is Greg Zabini and this here's Vincent Crabbe."

Sirius stood in front of a Charms table that held four seats but only three wizards at that moment.

"I'm Sirius Black," he said in a tone that implied he hadn't really needed to tell them in the first place.

The three green-cladded wizards nodded succinctly.

"Would you like to join us?" the tallest wizard, named Goyle, asked.

Sirius fought the urge to glance over his shoulder at his three dorm mates, who had sat a few tables back and across the aisle from the Slytherins. He knew Remus wouldn't fault him for leaving them to sit with his future House. James though was a different matter. He shot an ill-advised glance over his shoulder at the boys and was rewarded with a glare from James. _Stupid Potter_. He clenched his jaw and turned back to the three wizards.

"Sure." He sat down in the empty seat beside Zabini, setting his bag on the table.

The wizard eyed the Gryffindor seal on his robes but didn't remark on it.

"I can't believe we have Charms as a required class," Zabini said in a terse voice. "We should be given a Dark Arts option instead. Don't you think?"

Sirius wanted to tilt his head in thought but refrained. He already knew what his response should be to that answer. He had heard his own parents lament over the missing coursework and even thought he had heard Kreacher mutter on about it. But that couldn't be true, why would the house elf have an opinion on such a thing. He nodded his head slightly and then pulled out his book, before placing his bag on the floor beside his feet. He leaned back and crossed his arms, not opening the text.

Sirius fought the urge to lay his forehead on the table and take a nap. Class was moving along at a painfully sluggish pace. The three Slytherin wizards, while not approving of the class, sat quietly enough and took notes. Sirius ran an agitated hand up into his hair and then leaned over and pulled out a piece of parchment and quill. Maybe he could set up a new time to meet with Dumbledore.

"Psst. Sirius.. Pssssssst, _Sirius_!" a whisper hissed across the aisle and towards the lone Gryffindor.

Sirius's quill stilled. He shouldn't look over. What was the point in sitting with Slytherins if he was just going to whisper back and forth to his Gryffindor friends? _No. Not friends. Dorm mates. Temporary dorm mates_. Sirius tried to shake the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. He cleared his throat and began to compose his letter.

"Sirius!"

A piece of wadded up parchment followed the urgent whisper and hit him on the side of his face, bounced off and then landed on the desk in front of him. He looked down at it. He pushed his lips together. He wasn't interested in what it had to say in the least. He picked it up to toss it in his bag, then stopped. He stared down at it.

"Read it, you _stupid_ arse!"

Sirius grinned. He unwadded the parchment quietly and held it down in his lap to prevent their new Professor, Flitwick, from seeing it. He didn't need detention again.

_Sirius,_

_Have you noticed that Snivelly's nose looks abnormally large today? I think it's grown since school started._

_Your Forsaken Dorm Mate,_

_James_

Sirius's grin grew despite himself, and he held back a laugh, shaking his head as he reached out and grabbed his book and quill. He scrawled a response in his lap.

_James,_

_I have in fact. Why just this morning I saw a flock of baby birds try and feed from it._

_Your Begrudging Quill Pal,_

_Sirius_

He glanced up at the professor, who was currently writing on a board at the front of the room with an enchanted piece of chalk. He crumbled the parchment into a ball once more, turned around and threw it at James, but the wizard looked away to say something to Remus and it ended up flying past him and landing on the insultee's table behind him instead. Sirius watched as Lily Evans reached over Snape and picked up the disguised note.

"Well, shit."

"_Mr. Black."_

* * *

"I feel like this is becoming a habit," Sirius groaned as he stood, washing a particularly dirty cauldron for the second time, in the Potions room late Monday night. _Evans is such a..._ He growled, not finishing his thoughts as he scrubbed more viciously at a particularly stubborn stain.

James laughed by his side. "Well actually, my mother always says it takes at least thirty days to form a habit, so there's still hope."

Sirius shrugged, picked up the cauldron and placed it on the table for completed cauldrons, before walking back over to grab another dirty one to clean.

"So, what's your mother like?" he asked in a feigned casual tone.

James stopped cleaning and pushed himself up on the table. "She's old. I mean, older than most parents. My parents had me after they thought they couldn't have kids anymore. I was a bit of a surprise," he said with a mischievous grin.

Sirius set down his wash rag and joined the wizard on the table. "Seems fitting."

James laughed. Sirius smiled slightly as he stared at his feet that he was shuffling in the air less than a foot above the floor.

"What's your mum like? She _obviously_ has a temper but when she's not angry, how is she?" James asked, referring to the howler he had witnessed.

Sirius's feet stilled. He took in a quiet breath. "She's... very reserved," he said, his eyes trained on his shoes. He resisted the urge to rub at his tightened chest.

The two boys sat quietly for a couple minutes until James slid off the table top.

James smiled at his friend. "We should probably finish these cauldrons now." He frowned at the depressingly full 'dirty' table. He eyed the work with disdain. "I'd use the scrubbing charm, but my mum said it can react badly to certain spilled potions, and I'm not exactly sure what is on these cauldrons. They might explode."

Sirius looked up, his eyes glinting with some emotion. He jumped off the table. "Well, there's only one way to find out," he said.

James's mouth curled up one side. "I like how you think, Sirius."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Remus said as he glanced between his two bruised friends, who were lying on their beds in the dorm.

They had just straggled in a few minutes ago, and Peter was already sleeping with his curtains pulled tight. "You two got detention while you were _in_ detention?" He shook his head in disbelief.

Sirius squinted his eyes, a headache pulsing insistently at his temples as he looked up at the sandy-haired boy. "Did you get me something?" he asked in a weak voice. "I could go for some chocolate right now."

James laughed and then groaned when it made the large bruise on his side ache. "Why would Remus give you anything? You act like such a bloody bird sometimes, Sirius."

"Sod off, Potter," he said shortly before looking back up at the wizard with an air of expectation.

Remus sighed at the ridiculous request. "Sorry, I didn't get you any. I do have some on me, bu-"

"-Thanks, Remus." Sirius held out a hand and waited. When the wizard merely stared at his outstretched palm he added a slight tremor to it and then groaned pathetically.

Remus sighed again. "Oh, all right." He reluctantly pulled out a chocolate bar, sitting down at the foot of Sirius's bed, and opened the wrapping and then broke off half of it for his friend.

"Oi, what about me?" James asked from across the room.

Remus moved the remaining chocolate closer to his chest in a protective manner.

"Sorry, James. Remus is only sharing with me. Don't want people to think you're a bird," Sirius scoffed, nudging Remus's leg with his foot and eliciting a grin from the other wizard.

"What! No! I didn't actually mean that. You know that. Right? Right, Remus?"

Remus arched a sandy eyebrow and took a bite of his half. Sirius followed suit.

"You two are the worst friends ever," James groaned, his two friends started sniggering in response.

* * *

Sirius sat on his bed with the curtains pulled late on the first Friday night in December. Christmas was in only a few weeks, and he had somehow missed each of the four meetings he had made with the headmaster to discuss the possibility of a house transfer. He hadn't meant to, but he had gotten detention on those days. He had served a lot of detention time over the past few months. He chewed on his thumbnail as he thought about what he should do.

He was growing more and more reluctant to the idea of switching to Slytherin and for many reasons. First off, Bellatrix loathed him now with a passion and while she wouldn't openly go against him, he couldn't imagine sleeping very soundly with her so nearby. He shivered at the thought. Secondly, he had grown quite an aversion towards the house itself after being in Gryffindor for so many months. He was still sitting with the three Slytherins in Charms and Potions, but they hadn't exactly warmed to each other. It was more so an understood tolerance of sorts. The animosity between Gryffindors and Slytherins was as strong as it got at Hogwarts. Lastly, he liked his dorm mates. _A lot_. They _were_ his friends. He didn't want to leave them and make new friends in Slytherin. Sirius groaned at his situation.

"Sirius? Are you all right?" Remus's quiet voice asked just outside his curtains.

Sirius pulled back one side and shot a tight smile up at his friend. "Yeah, just thinking. Want to join me?"

Remus's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "_Join you_?"

Sirius's smile morphed into a mischievous one. "What's wrong? Afraid I'll try to snog you?" he teased.

"No, I. I didn't mean it like that at all. I-"

"-Just get in."

Remus climbed in and sat at the end of the bed, his knees pulled up against his chest.

Sirius let the shade drop, lying down on his back and staring up at the blank ceiling. "What are you doing awake?"

Remus let out a sigh. "Couldn't sleep."

Sirius nodded. "Nervous about going home?" he asked in a forced light tone.

"Why.. Why do you think I'm going home?" Remus asked in a shocked voice.

Sirius laughed, rolling his eyes. "You've gone home every month since school started, Remus," he responded. Something poked uncomfortably at his thoughts, and he pushed it away. "So you're not?"

Remus sat silently for a few beats before answering in almost a whisper. "No, I am."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up," Sirius said, feeling guilty for bringing up the subject. He sat quietly with the wizard. He knew Remus was really worried about his sick mother. He had come back from each of the visits looking like he hadn't slept or eaten while he was away. Sirius wondered if she had much more time.

Remus spoke up finally. "What's bothering you? Same thing? I mean - with Christmas coming up - that is."

Sirius started to deny that he was worried but stopped. He nodded in the safety of the darkness before finding his voice. "Yeah, I guess so... Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll tell me to stay here for Christmas break," he joked, actually hoping that they would welcome him home and tell him they were okay if he chose to remain in Gryffindor. He missed his parents and being at home. He didn't know why. But he did.

"I think I'm going to stay here for Christmas. So I guess we can keep each other company, with Peter and James gone," Remus said quietly.

"Why aren't you going home?" Sirius asked, completely confused as he stared up at the white ceiling.

Remus shifted in the bed, lying down on his back so that his feet were up by Sirius's pillow. "My family is traveling for the holidays and won't be back in time for term. So, I probably can't go," he said in an unusually monotonous tone as he stared up at the same blank ceiling.

Sirius tossed him down his extra pillow. "Rotten luck, mate."

Remus placed the pillow under his head, his eyes closing as he hummed his assent.

Sirius's eyes began to grow heavy as they laid in comfortable silence. Maybe it wouldn't be _so_ bad if he had to stay at school for the winter break. He didn't want Remus to be all alone.

* * *

"Sirius! Sirius! Remus has gone missi-" James stood with his mouth agape as he stared down at the two wizards sleeping on Sirius's bed.

"Pete! Pete, come here!" James hissed, waving frantically at his friend as he held the curtain to Sirius's bed open.

"What is it?" Peter grumbled as he stumbled out of his bed and made his way over to James.

"Look!" James whispered, pointing into Sirius's bed.

Peter shot him a disturbed look, not moving to peer into the wizard's private quarters.

"Just _look_!"

Peter sighed and moved closer, peering into the bed. "Bloody heck!"

"Wha-"

"Agh. I'll murder you! Shut up!"

James let the curtains drop after Remus's threat. He and Peter stared at each other for a few beats before they both started sniggering.

"Why wasn't I invited to the slumber party?" James asked in a feigned hurt voice.

"Because it was a _best friend_ slumber party," Sirius quipped loudly from behind the curtains. "Aghhh!" Sirius fell off his bed and out of the curtains, rolling onto the floor.

"I said to shut it!" came an angry voice from behind the curtains.

"He's such a grumpy sleeper," Sirius said rather cheerfully, pushing himself up off the floor and stretching.

"No, he's a _peaceful_ sleeper. He's a grumpy _waker_," James corrected his friend.

Sirius brushed off the imagined dust from his pajama pants. "Touché."

* * *

_Dear Sirius,_

_Your father and I have decided it best if you don't come home over the holidays. We think your time would be best spent at school working on transferring to Slytherin House. We have arranged to have your presents sent there._

_Happy Christmas,_

_Mother_

Sirius folded the parchment slowly. He supposed he should be happy she was being civil with him again. He set the parchment on his bed in front of him. He wondered if she would continue along that vein if he told her he didn't want to transfer any longer.

"I don't know why you like it so much. It's evil," James said from the other side of the room as he suspiciously eyed the black owl, resting on Remus's arm. Peter was hiding in the bathroom. The owl made an angry noise in James's direction.

"I think he's sweet," Remus said, rifling through his pockets and finding a piece of chocolate. He fed it to the owl as James stared on in disgust. He gave the owl a scratch under its beak before lifting his arm and allowing it to fly off.

James walked back over and dropped down onto Sirius's bed. "So, what'd she say?"

Sirius sighed. "Guess I'll be staying here for Christmas."

"I'm sorry, S-Hey, _wait_! I could ask my parents if you could come stay with us for break!" James said excitedly, pushing himself upright.

Sirius glanced over to Remus, who had sat down on his bed and pulled out a book.

"I don't know. Remus is staying, and I don't want to abandon him," he said.

Remus looked up. "It's okay, Sirius, I don't mind."

James let out an exasperated noise. "You two are _ridiculous_! I'll just see if Remus can come, too!"

* * *

**:-)**


	6. Dark Sides

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: I will continue posting weekly on this story until my already written material is used up, which will have us finishing up first year. However, then I plan to take a break for a while from this account. Hopefully it won't be for too long! Thanks guys!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Dark Sides**

* * *

"Bye Peter!"

"Bye Pete!"

"Bye Petey!"

"Bye guys!" Peter yelled, waving as he walked away with his mother. His three friends stood at the train station, waiting for James's mother to meet them.

"Well, I guess we know where Peter got his looks now."

The statement was met with sniggers.

"Sirius..." Remus said in a disappointed tone.

"What. I don't know why that has to be taken negatively. It was more of an... Observation." Sirius smiled widely.

James tried to hide his laughter with some poorly executed coughs.

Remus shook his head.

"Oi, there's my mum!" James exclaimed suddenly before running towards an older looking witch. She was an attractive, thin woman, with long black hair pulled back into a bun. He gave her a big hug, which she returned, wearing a familiar grin.

Sirius and Remus trailed behind him awkwardly.

"Mum, this is Remus Lupin. And, this is Sirius Black," James said, motioning to his silent friends.

James's mother smiled at the two boys. "Hello, Remus Lupin." She leaned down and hugged the boy briefly. The sandy-haired wizard flushed and nodded.

"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Remus smiled shyly.

The woman smiled again before turning her full gaze on Sirius.

The Black heir swallowed hard. He was inexplicably nervous. He felt the urge to shuffle his feet. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs. Potter," he said in an unusually polite voice, bowing slightly. James's eyes widened in surprise.

The witch's smile grew. She leaned down cautiously and pulled the tallest wizard into an embrace. Sirius felt himself tense, waiting for the witch to pull away abruptly. When she merely gave him a squeeze, he smiled and wrapped his arms around her lightly and allowed himself to enjoy the hug for a moment before pulling away.

"Please, call me Aunt Dorea," she said to him.

Sirius smiled and nodded.

"Come along, boys. James, your father will be home in two days. So, I expect you three to be on your best behavior until then," she said.

"When am I ever not on my best behavior, Mother?" James asked with a twinkle in his eyes, earning him a tinkling laugh as they made their way to the nearest floo system.

* * *

"AHHHHHH!"

James landed with a loud crash as he missed the pillows placed at the bottom of the stairway railing for landing and instead ran into an ornamental table, knocking it over.

Sirius let out a barking laugh from the top of the stairs as James groaned and slowly stood up. "Okay, Sirius, your turn," he said as he pushed the table out of the pathway for the wizard.

"Sirius, maybe you-" Remus stopped when the wizard jumped onto the railing backwards and began to slide down the railing. He managed to land on the pile of pillows and jumped up with a whoop of excitement, giving James a high-five.

"Come on, Remus! It's your turn now!"

Remus shook his head.

"Do it!"

Remus shook his head again.

"Don't be a pansy, Lupin!"

"Yeah, don't be a pan-Oh, hello, Mother," James said as his mother stood in the entryway with her arms crossed.

"James. I see you boys are using the railway as your personal slide," she said, with a raised eyebrow, her lips pressing together in disapproval.

Sirius looked down at his feet, trying not to hyperventilate. He knew James's mother was nice, but he didn't know her discipline policy. _Is she going to have us beaten? James wouldn't have suggested it if so. Right?_

The older witch looked curiously at Sirius before saying in a more gentle tone. "I think you've had enough fun on it today. Why don't you three get ready for bed?"

Sirius looked up quickly, a confused look on his features. Dorea smiled in response and walked off quietly.

"Are we in trouble?" Sirius asked after she had left.

James frowned. "Well, we aren't allowed to do it anymore. So, yeah?"

Sirius's frown deepened. "What's going to happen to us?"

Remus walked down the steps.

"What do you mean?" James asked.

"I think he wants to know if there will be a punishment, James," he said in a cautious voice, his gaze flitting to Sirius as he spoke.

Sirius flinched at the word, but tried to act like it hadn't happened as he shifted nervously despite his best efforts to remain still.

"Oh, uh. No. No punishment other than not being able to slide anymore," he said in a confused voice.

Sirius let out a deep breath. _Of course not. What was I thinking_. "Right. Let's go to bed, then," he said in an uncharacteristically reserved voice, sounding a lot like he had on the train when they first met.

"Sounds good," Remus said, discreetly eyeing the boy as they made their way up the stairs.

"Too bad you missed your slide, Remus," James said sullenly, picking up the pillows and following his two friends.

"I think I'll live," Remus responded as he continued to watch Sirius out of the corner of his vision.

The three wizards made their way to James's room. The house elves had transfigured three beds like their ones at Hogwarts, but twice the size, for their stay.

Sirius entered the large room, walking immediately to his trunk and retrieving a set of pajamas.

James walked in and plopped down on his bed. "So, what do you guys want to do now?" he asked in a casual tone.

Remus sat down on his bed, undoing his tie. "Aren't you tired?" he asked.

James laughed. "No, I'm wide awake. What do you want to do, Sirius?" He sat up when he didn't receive a response. "Where's Sirius?" he asked Remus.

The wizard sighed. "He's in the bathroom changing for bed."

James furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Why?"

Remus walked over to his own trunk and pulled out his clothes for the night. "Maybe he's tired," he said evasively.

James scoffed at the idea. Sirius walked out of the bathroom, not making eye-contact with either of his friends as he made his way to his bed.

"Sirius, are you _tired_?" James asked, his voice full of disbelief. Remus walked out of the room quietly to change.

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered in an unsure voice as he climbed onto his bed.

"Something bothering you, mate?" James asked, standing up and then walking over to Sirius's bed and plopping down on it.

The tall wizard shrugged his shoulders. "Just don't want to get in trouble, I guess," he said before he could stop himself.

"Don't want to get into _trouble_?" James asked incredulously. "What, don't tell me you've suddenly become a goody-two-shoes!"

Sirius's eyes flashed with anger, and he pushed himself off the bed. "You're one to talk, Potter! 'Mummy. Oh mummy! Yes Mother! Sorry Mother!' You're such a suck-up!" the tall boy mocked his friend.

James stood up quickly. "Well, at least my mother is nice to me-"

"-James-!" Remus had reentered just in time to hear the boy's harsh words and see Sirius's face drop.

"-Yours is only worried about blood purity and-"

"-Sod off, Potter!" Sirius roared, shoving his friend so hard he fell onto the floor. He moved to attack him but was stopped by Remus.

"Let me go, Lupin!" Sirius shouted, as the sandy-haired boy held him around the chest.

"No, just calm down. He didn't mean it, Sirius," he said in as calm of a voice as he could with his friend trying to get loose of his grip.

James pushed himself up slowly, his mouth agape as he watched his friend rage against Remus's hold like he wanted to kill him.

"Don't tell me what to do, you half-blood!" Sirius shouted unthinkingly in his anger.

Remus closed his eyes but didn't let go. "I'll let you go when you've calmed down."

"Oi, don't talk to Remus like that!" James yelled, moving closer to the two boys.

"Just stay back, James," Remus warned as he eyed him, not trusting him.

James stopped. His eyes darkened as he glared at Sirius. "What's your problem, Black?" he spat at the unhinged wizard.

"_You_! You're my problem! You're just a filthy _blood-traitor_!" he yelled as he surged against Remus's tight hold.

James took a step back as if he had been punched. "You're - You're _no_ friend of mine, Black," he said hotly before walking over to his bed and grabbing his pillow and then leaving the room with a slam of the door.

The loud bang seemed to break something in the struggling wizard and he relaxed, not fighting Remus anymore.

Remus waited for a moment not sure of what to do. He felt the wizard start to shake and let go of his tight hold.

"Sirius, are you okay?" he asked quietly, turning the wizard around by his shoulders.

Sirius lowered his head quickly. "What are you still doing here, Lupin? Shouldn't you run off with your friend?" he asked, his voice harsh.

Remus saw the wizard swipe his hand across his face in a discreet manner. "You're my friend, too, Sirius," he said in an even voice.

Sirius turned away, a sob threatening to break free from his chest. "I don't have any friends, Remus," he said before walking to his bed and jerking the curtains shut immediately behind him.

* * *

"Remus?" Sirius pulled back the curtains slightly to see Remus sitting up in his bed. It had been a few hours since Sirius's explosion, and James still hadn't come back, and it appeared Remus couldn't sleep. _This is all my fault._

The sandy-haired boy didn't say anything. He just scooted over, making room for the other wizard. They sat quietly side-by-side for a few minutes.

"I-I'm sorry, Remus," Sirius finally managed to say, staring into the darkness blindly. He felt the bed shift beside him.

"Do you really believe all that stuff, Sirius?" Remus asked quietly.

Sirius bit the inside of his cheek. "What stuff?" he asked, being intentionally dense.

"That blood purity is so important. That someone is worthless if they're not pureblooded."

Sirius rubbed his face with the palms of his hands. He had been taught the importance of blood purity his entire life by every family member he had ever come in contact with. Even the paintings had made sure he understood the wizarding hierarchy according to his family's set of beliefs. But here he was, sitting by a half-blood, and he couldn't think of anything he wanted more than his forgiveness.

"No. - I mean. - I don't want to," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "I didn't mean what I said earlier. You _are_ my friend, Remus... You're my friend, and that's all that matters, right?"

Remus sat silently, not responding.

Sirius felt himself grow exponentially nervous as he waited for reassurance. _Maybe he doesn't want to be friends with me anymore after what I said to him. _"Remus?"

"Sirius, there are things about me," he said before stopping abruptly. He cleared his throat, his words coming out so softly Sirius had to strain to make them out, "And, maybe you wouldn't want to be my friend if you knew."

Sirius reached out his hand and grabbed his friend's. He gave it a squeeze. "No, that's not true. You'll always just be Remus to me," he said, not sure what the wizard was alluding to but finding that he didn't care at that moment.

Remus squeezed his hand back.

"Thanks, Sirius," he said, his tone off for some reason.

Sirius let go, suddenly aware that he had just been holding his friend's hand. He wrapped his arms around his knees. "James hates me now, I suppose," he said in a rueful tone.

"No, he doesn't," Remus said simply, sounding more like himself.

Sirius bit his lip. "You don't think so?"

Remus let out a laugh. "No, but he's probably _really_ upset with you, though."

Sirius groaned.

* * *

Sirius woke up choking and sputtering for breath.

"Morning, Sirius!" James was holding an empty bucket in his hands as he smiled down at his soaked friend.

Sirius started to yell at him but stopped. He pushed himself up and wiped his face with an equally wet hand, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Yeah, I guess I deserved that."

James sat down on the bed beside his friend, getting himself wet in the process. "I'm sorry for being such a git last night," he said.

Sirius smiled. "Friends?" he asked, shoving the wizard, who had been leaning against him.

"Best friends," James said with a huge smile and shoved him back. The two boys began to wrestle, only causing minor injuries.

A smile tugged at Remus's lips as he read a book on his bed.

* * *

The three wizards returned from Christmas break closer than before. Peter returned heavier than before.

"Wow, Petey, how much did you eat over Christmas break?"

"Sirius..."

"Sirius is right, Pete. You might want to cut back a little," James said, leaning over to pat the wizard's growing stomach.

"It's just baby fat," Peter said defensively, taking another bite of the chocolate cake he had brought from home.

The four wizards sat on the train, on their way back to Hogwart's. Sirius and James sat on one bench, while Remus and Peter sat on the other.

"I might take a nap," Sirius said with a yawn.

"That's an awful idea," James said, yawning immediately after his words.

Remus fought his own oncoming yawn and failed.

The three wizards had stayed up the entire night before their trip back to school. They had flown brooms out on James's backyard pitch, Remus joining in after Sirius had begged him non-stop for ten minutes. They had raided the kitchen with the help of the house elves. They had also had another go at the railing slide. James's father had even joined in for a couple slides before James's mother discovered them and made him go back to bed but didn't tell the boys to stop themselves. They had played exploding snaps and beat each other up a bit as well.

"Yeah, maybe I am tired," James mumbled as he curled up against the wall, wadding up his new school robes to use as a pillow.

"Are you guys going to want anything from the trolley?" Peter asked, looking up from his cake to find a compartment full of sleeping wizards.

* * *

"We should go down to the lake later," Sirius said happily as the slightly warmer April sun shined through the windows of the castle while the four Gryffindors made their way to breakfast.

"Hey, my parents said you guys could visit for a couple weeks this summer. It'll be so much fun!" James said, practically hopping down the stairway in his excitement.

Sirius grinned. "I know. We can use your pitch to practice before tryouts. Maybe we could even get the house elves to join in to round out the numbers," he said. "I can't believe your parents are allowing us to stay again."

"Such a disgrace." The words were muttered.

Sirius stopped. He turned to see Severus Snape behind them with a look of contempt painted all over his features and staring straight at him.

"_What_ did you say?" Sirius asked, his happiness gone almost instantly. He glared darkly at the wizard behind him and took a step up, his wand still in his robes.

"You heard me. Just because your family is afraid of the mighty Black heir doesn't mean I am," hissed the Slytherin.

Sirius snarled. "You should be," he growled out and took another threatening step towards him, his fists raising angrily.

The Slytherin's eyes widened in fear for only a second before his cool mask returned. "Ah-Ah. If you attack me it'll get back to your parents. How do you think they will react to you attacking a Slytherin?"

"I don't bloody care right now." Sirius's fists clenched tighter, and he moved to close the distance when James grabbed his arm.

"No, Sirius. He's right," he said, causing Sirius and Snape to turn to him in shock.

"What?"

James nodded before saying,"Let me handle it for you." His wand hand shot up immediately, hitting the wizard with a jelly-legs jinx and making him fall down.

The four Gryffindors watched in surprise as the Slytherin began to tumble down the twenty-some steps.

"Oops."

Remus grimaced at a particularly loud thud.

James's eyebrows raised and drew together when the boy flipped over completely once.

"Wow. I never fully appreciated that jinx before," Sirius said.

They all watched as the Slytherin tried to stand up once he had reached the bottom but fall back over immediately because of the jinx.

"I'm hungry," Peter pitched in.

"Peter's really deep sometimes," Sirius said as the four boys started back down the stairs, side-stepping a crawling Snape, who was trying to get to his wand.

"You'll regret this Potter! You too, Black! You're both-"

"-Whoops!" Sirius cut off the wizard when he kicked his dropped wand down the long hallway.

"You should be more careful, Sirius. You could have tripped on that," James said in a feigned concerned voice.

"I know, that's why I moved it out of the way. It was a hazard," he said, opening the door to the Great Hall and holding it for his friends politely as the Slytherin pulled himself along by his elbows.

"You think you're so clever, Black. You'll pay for this. What do you think your parents would do if they found out you were friends with a half-blood," Snape hissed as he struggled along the floor.

Sirius's jaw clenched, and his eyes flashed with barely contained fury. "You'd be wise to think twice about threatening me, Snivelly. You don't know what I'm capable of." He smiled darkly at the crawling wizard before pulling the door firmly shut.

Sirius smoothed his shirt and walked calmly towards his friends, his face relaxing as he made his way to the Gryffindor table.

"What took you so long?" James asked as he scooped food onto his plate.

Remus looked up curiously from beside Peter. Sirius slid into the seat James had saved him.

"Oh, just having a nice chat with Snivels," he said nonchalantly, his darkened eyes the only sign he was not happy. He stabbed a large piece of chicken and put it on his plate. He looked over to Remus's plate, which was empty.

"Not feeling well again, Remus?" he asked, an uncomfortable but familiar feeling prodding at the edges of his conscious.

Remus looked down at the empty plate, seemingly surprised there was no food. He cleared his throat. "Oh, uh. No. I'm just not hungry, I suppose." He then proceeded to pick up a croissant, despite his words, and put it on his plate.

"Good, more food for us then. Right, Peter?" James asked with a laugh. The blond wizard nodded agreeably.

_Odd_. Sirius's eyes narrowed as he studied the boy across from him. His hair wasn't as tidy as usual, his eyes were blood-shot, and he had an unusual air about him. Sirius frowned. It was not the norm for the usually well-kept wizard, but he had noticed it before.

"Visiting your mother soon?" he asked, his voice coming out more sharply than he had expected.

Remus's head jerked up. "Yes, why do you care so much?" he snarled the question in response.

Sirius's eyes widened, and then he saw _something_. The wizard's eyes had flashed, and Sirius had only seen dark. More darkness than he had ever imagined possible. He leaned forward and searched the wizard's eyes, which were once again their usual appearance with only a glimpse of what had just taken them over. _What was that? Where did it go_? He searched in vain for a reappearance.

Remus blinked and pulled back. "I-I'm sorry, Sirius. I don't know why I snapped like that." He looked down at his mostly empty plate, his entire body tense. "I'm leaving today after classes actually."

"Sirius, why were you gazing into Remus's eyes?" James asked before taking a huge bite of an apple.

Sirius sat up, glancing across at the rather nervous-looking wizard, who looked like he wanted to run for cover, before responding. "Oh, just admiring them. They're quite lovely," he said lightly.

James let out a loud laugh. "You're mad," he said, shaking his head as he continued to laugh. "Lovely. _Right_," he said, but turned away to watch a furious Snape walk through the doors of the Great Hall.

Remus relaxed, his eyes shooting back to Sirius in surprise.

Sirius smiled at him and winked in a conspiratorial fashion. His smile growing even more so when the wizard looked disturbed by the action. There was something very odd about Remus Lupin, and he clearly didn't want anyone to know what it was. Sirius was intrigued.

* * *

**:-)**

**Next Chapter will end first year, and then we will enter summer break. **


	7. Consequences

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Or maybe I do...**

**Author's Note: Hey. New post and new pen name. I couldn't help myself. Hehe. Yeah. :-)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Consequences**

* * *

"Slughorn is detestable," Greg Zabini said as the professor of topic cooed over Lily Evans and Severus Snape.

The Potions master had quickly decided who he liked, and who he could care less about in the class of Gryffindors and Slytherins. Sirius was one of his favorites, but the young wizard avoided the fame-seeking professor at all costs.

Sirius let out a laugh. "Yes, and I believe he's eaten a few of the students if his girth is any indicator." He took the cauldron off the fire before adding a handful of porcupine quills to prevent the cauldron from melting.

Zabini furrowed his eyebrows before laughing. "You're an all right wizard, Sirius," he said, dicing up a piece of ginger root.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders before setting the cauldron back on top the fire to allow Zabini to add the last ingredient.

"I think it's finished," Sirius said, noting the first pink wisps of smoke beginning to rise from the potion.

"I think you're right." The Slytherin grinned at Sirius as they noticed the two Slytherins in front of them waving at their potion that had started to emit a black noxious smoke.

"Can't say the same for Crabbe and Goyle though," Sirius said with a mischievous grin, earning him an answering smirk.

"Sirius, why don't you eat with us today?" Zabini asked as they began to clean their desk.

Sirius glanced back at his friends and then back at the green-clad wizard beside him. He and Greg had formed a slight friendship over the past few months, but they had only sat in class together. He still hadn't requested a House change and there were only two weeks of school left. Maybe if he made some real friends from Slytherin his parents would be appeased and allow him to remain in Gryffindor.

"Remus, you're bollocks at potions. Let me fix it," James said a few tables back from Sirius, a good-natured laugh following the insulting words.

James. He thought about how the temperamental wizard would react to him sitting with the Slytherin. _He'll throw a fit_. He squared his shoulders at the thought.

"Sure."

* * *

"What do you mean you're not eating with us!" James exclaimed in dismay as he stood outside of Potions with Sirius, Remus and Peter.

Sirius looked around, avoiding his best friend's glare. "Exactly that. Zabini asked me to eat with him."

"Oh, 'Zabini asked you'," he said, mocking his friend. He took an angry step closer. "Would you sit with Snivelly if he asked you!"

Sirius shoved him back a few steps. "No, listen," he paused and let out a sigh, guilt weighing heavily on his mind. He didn't want to argue with his friend. "It's just this once. Don't be such a bird, James," he said wearily.

"A bird! I'm not a _bloody_ bird!" James shouted, his voice towering over the voices in the hallway. "Do whatever you want! I don't care!" he shouted angrily, turning and stalking off without a goodbye.

Peter quickly followed him, and Remus stood rooted in place.

Sirius watched his best friend stalk away, casting a boils hex at an unsuspecting first-year Hufflepuff when he didn't move out of his way quickly enough for his liking.

"He seems pretty angry," Sirius said to the wizard still standing beside him as he watched the friends of the hexed Hufflepuff back away in disgust.

Remus smiled wryly. "I think you might be right. At least we just made the potion for that in class. Should be easy enough to fix." He placed his hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I'll talk him down for you. See you in the dorm," he said before walking off, stopping momentarily to hand the panicking and boil-covered Hufflepuff his potion sample from class.

Sirius turned and made his way over to the three Slytherins, who were standing quietly against the wall outside of Potions, having just watched the scene.

* * *

"What do _you_ think, Sirius?"

The dark-haired wizard looked up from the grass he had been staring at for the past few minutes. He and the three Slytherins were sitting outside after lunch. "I'm sorry?"

"Slughorn. He seems to have his priorities mixed up," Jonathan Goyle said, his eyes speculative as he waited for the Gryffindor's response.

Sirius could guess as to what the Slytherin was alluding to. Lily Evans was clearly Slughorn's prize student, and she was a _mudblood_. Sirius shrugged his shoulders.

"He seems like a fool to me," he said, not lying but his reasoning not quite running along the same vein.

Vincent Crabbe tilted his head. "What would that make you then?" he asked, his voice suddenly hard.

Sirius stiffened. "What's that mean?"

"You know what he means," Goyle said. He looked over his shoulder, motioning at Sirius's friends, who were sitting under a tree near the lake, laughing about something.

The Gryffindor's gaze followed his, and he felt his chest tighten. "I don't think I do. Why don't you just say it?" he said, daring the wizard to say anything about the Gryffindors.

"Potter isn't too bad," Zabini spoke up quickly. "Isn't his mother a Black? And his father's side follows back to the Peverells," he said.

"I was talking about _Lupin_," Crabbe said, spitting the boy's name out of his mouth like it was distasteful.

Sirius's jaw tensed, and he pushed himself in a standing position, the other wizards following suit.

"Watch what you say. Remus Lupin is my friend," he said, his fists clenching by his sides as his vision began to tunnel.

Goyle moved beside Crabbe.

"Are you taking up for a half-blood, Black? Wizards like him shouldn't even be allowed to attend Hogwarts." Goyle snarled at the wizard.

Sirius took a step towards the two wizards. Zabini stood up but didn't take a side among the three boys.

"If you don't take that back, you'll regret it," Sirius hissed, his pupils huge as his body hummed with furious energy.

"Forget that. His _kind_ are a disgrace to all Pureblood wizards. They shouldn't be allowed to exist," Crabbe scoffed.

Sirius saw red, his fist pulling back and punching the wizard, hitting him square on the jaw and knocking him back.

Goyle immediately moved towards the wizard, swinging at him, his knuckles clipping the Black heir on the nose as he tried to pull back from the thrown punch.

Crabbe shook his head and moved towards the Gryffindor once more, his fists up and ready beside Goyle. Sirius resigned himself to getting hit as he angled his body towards Goyle, the larger of the two.

Just then Goyle let out a groan and fell over suddenly, landing on the ground face first, James standing behind him grinning at his bloodied friend.

"Thought you might need help," James said. Sirius grinned before turning to Crabbe.

"What the-" Crabbe's words were cut off as Sirius's fist made contact with his face, knocking him over that time.

Sirius glared down at the two boys. "Remus is a better wizard than both of you," he growled out, his face pulsing with pain as blood dripped from his nose.

Sirius glanced over at Zabini who shook his head, clearly holding back a smile as he leaned down to check on his two friends.

Sirius and James turned and walked off side-by-side.

* * *

"Here, let me fix that for you," Remus said, walking over to Sirius, who was sitting on his bed.

The wizard's nose had stopped bleeding, but his eyes had both begun to bruise and swell. He hadn't gone to the hospital, because he didn't want to receive detention when they found out how he had acquired the bruises on his face. Sirius pulled away the cold cloth from his face. He sighed and looked down at his lap, studying the bruising skin on his knuckles.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine," he said quietly. He was a terrible friend. He had known how the three Slytherins felt towards wizards of Remus's blood lineage when he had first started sitting with them in class. He had felt the same way at the beginning of the year, or at least he thought he had. He just hadn't done anything about it until they said something directly to him.

"Sirius, there's no need to feel bad," Remus said, standing in front of the wizard.

"I'm going to sit with them again," Sirius said, his gaze still downcast as he wished more than anything the words weren't true. But he knew he would as long as they would allow it. He had no other choice.

Remus nodded. "I figured."

"Doesn't that bother you?" Sirius asked, looking up at the sandy-haired boy, frustrated at himself on behalf of his friend. What was wrong with him?

Remus sat down beside the wizard. He looked at the wand laying near Sirius. "Do you know that wands are said to have similar characteristics to the wizards they are matched with?" Remus asked instead.

Sirius glanced down at his wand. "What does mine say about me? That I'm a complete tosser?"

Remus picked up the wand and studied it carefully. "Well. Dogwood is very strong. It makes a very powerful wand that can only be wielded by an exceptional wizard, but curiously it is very mischievous and playful in nature." He grinned at his friend, who returned the gesture sheepishly. "The core. Well, it's much like the creature it came from. Dark and tending towards violence." Remus ran his hand along the wand. "But the length represents the open mindedness of the bearer." He looked up at Sirius, turning the rather long wand around and handing it back to him. He smiled at his friend. "You're a good person, Sirius. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise." Remus moved to climb off the bed.

The tall wizard grabbed his arm, stilling him for a moment. He met his gaze. "Thanks, Remus."

The sandy blond quirked a smile and stood up.

Sirius watched his friend walk away and climb into his bed, pulling the curtains shut behind him. He tugged his own drapes shut and laid down, his face aching as he fell asleep.

* * *

_Sirius,_

_It has come to your father's and my attention that you have been consorting with a half-blood. We have decided that you will be grounded for the coming summer and will not be allowed to visit your Uncle Alfred or anyone else for that matter for the entirety of the break. You will also be punished accordingly._

_Mother _

_Remus_. Sirius's hands began to shake. He set the paper down on his bed, his eyes unfocused. Punishment. He swallowed hard. He hadn't been punished for almost two years. He had gotten so careful. He grimaced. That is until he had started school.

Who would have told on him? Andromeda wouldn't have. No question. Sirius didn't think Narcissa would, because she probably didn't care. Bellatrix. Well, that wasn't the witch's style. For a Slytherin she was rather straight forward, almost Gryffindor in her methods of revenge. She would come after him herself if she over chose to seek retribution. That he was sure.

He closed his eyes and laid down on his bed, his body humming with nervous energy. He knew it was best to not think about it. He pushed himself with his feet, scooting across his bed, until his head hung over the edge.

* * *

"I'm bored," Sirius said as he hung upside down off the side of his bed, his feet resting on the wall. It was the first day in June, and classes were through for the day. There were only a few more days of school left, and then he would be going home. He enjoyed the blood rushing to his head, making it difficult to focus.

"You could study or do Charms homework," Remus offered as he sat on his bed across from the wizard, doing the latter.

Sirius let out a long suffering groan as he continued to let the blood rush to his head. "That's an awful idea, Remus. When did you get so _boring_?" he asked in an irritated voice.

"Remus is always boring, Sirius. You just don't usually mind," James said, having just walked in the room. He walked over to his bed and plopped down. "I hate Evans."

Sirius let out a mean laugh. Remus shook his head but continued reading.

"What happened this time?" Sirius asked before placing his hands on the floor and then flipping over and onto his feet. He staggered for a second, regaining his balance as his blood redistributed before walking over to James's bed and joining his friend.

"Oh, she just says rubbish is all," James answered, scooting over to make room for his friend.

"Were you making fun of Snape again?" Remus asked knowingly.

"Maybe I _was_. But, he deserved it. He's a slimy bloke. Why does she hang out with him anyway?" James asked in a disgusted voice.

"They know each other from outside of Hogwarts. They've been friends since before school. They live near each other," Remus answered.

Sirius shot him a surprised look. The wizard knew quite a bit about the unlikeable Slytherin.

"Well, I don't trust him." James glared at the ceiling. "He's really full of himself, too. You know he was laughing at me today when I was making my potion!"

"You did end up exploding it," Sirius offered, something niggling uncomfortably at his thoughts.

"Yeah. But maybe I wouldn't have if he hadn't been making all those noises while I worked. He probably jinxed it," James said.

Sirius sat up suddenly. _Snape_. Of course. He was who had told his parents. "Maybe he did," he said slowly.

Remus lowered his quill, a frown forming on his lips.

James sat up suddenly. "You really think so?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes taking on a dark glint. "Yeah, I do. We should get him back. Show him what happens when he messes with Gryffindors."

James nodded. "Yeah. Maybe we should."

Remus bit his lip as he studied Sirius. "Where's Peter?" he asked, trying to distract his friends.

Sirius stood up. "He's down in the common room watching a game of chess," he said offhandedly to Remus and without missing a beat added, "Let's go then. I heard him tell Lily to meet him down by the lake after classes."

"Have either of you finished your transfiguration homework due tomorrow?" Remus asked abruptly, standing up.

"No, but it's easy. James and I can get it in five minutes before breakfast for sure," Sirius said dismissively, walking with James towards the door.

"What can we do? We should plan something on the way. It needs to be something he won't forget quickly. Mayb-"

"-Guys. _Guys_!"

Sirius and James turned to see Remus standing nervously in the middle of the room. James's hand rested on the door handle.

"Yeah, Remus?" James asked curiously.

"Don't bother Snape. You'll just get into trouble."

Sirius shot his friend a suspicious look. "Why, do you _like_ Snivelly or something?"

Remus shook his head, confusion forcing his eyebrows together. "No, I just think it's a bit mean pranking him all the time."

Sirius walked back towards Remus. "You think we should just let him get away with jinxing James?"

Remus frowned. He steeled himself. "That's not what I said. I just think.."

Sirius took another step closer, leaving only a foot between him and his friend. "Just what?" he asked in a challenging tone.

"_Sirius_," James said, his tone warning as he moved away from the door. "Just leave it."

"No, I want to know what Remus is talking about," he said, turning back to the quiet boy. "Are you and Snivelly friends now?" He shoved his _friend_. His friend who was the reason he was being punished this summer.

Remus took a reflexive step back. "_Don't_ push me, Sirius," he said, his voice strained. He shot him a concerned look that only made the taller wizard more angry for some reason.

"Or what." Sirius stepped closer, looking down at the boy. "What are you going to do about it, _Remus_?" He lifted up both hands, palms out and waited for Remus to respond.

The wizard only shook his head and looked down.

"That's what I thought," he said and then shoved him back another step.

"Sirius, stop it." James pushed his friend away, putting himself between he and Remus.

"Don't you tell what to do, _Potter_," Sirius snarled.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" James asked, his tone more surprised than angry.

Sirius felt his anger growing. He couldn't think.

"I just need to get out of here," he said before turning and walking out of the room in a hurry, leaving a confused James and Remus behind.

* * *

Sirius, James, Remus and Peter sat on the Hogwarts Express on their way home for the summer. Sirius had come back after the altercation between him and Remus in a subdued mood, and it had persisted through their last couple days at school much to the dismay of his friends.

"Are you sure you can't talk your parents into letting you visit for a bit?" James asked his best friend.

Sirius shook his head. "No, they're not very happy with me," he said, holding back the grimace warring to overtake his face. He hadn't told his friends about the note he had received. There was nothing they could do to help.

"Bummer. Maybe I could ask my parents to talk to them," James said, hope tingeing his words.

Sirius nodded slowly, knowing it would be for naught. "Perhaps."

He avoided the questioning glance Remus shot him, looking out the window instead. He just needed to get through the summer.

* * *

**I put a lot of effort into this chapter. I hope it shows! Please let me know if you're enjoying the story. :-)**

**First year is over, summer is coming. I will see you all after my break! xx**


	8. A New Approach

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**WARNINGS: Mentioned child abuse. **

**Author's Note: Summer time is here! I am dedicating this chapter to my unofficial beta, Author 2 from my joint account ImSuperSiriusGuys. Without her abuse this chapter would still suck in all its first-draft uninspiredness. Thank You! **

**ENJOY! :-)**

* * *

**Chapter 8 - A New Approach**

* * *

Sirius limped down the long hallway to his room at Twelve Grimmauld Place. It was the first day of summer break for the young wizard.

"He's fortunate if you ask me. My parents would have avada kedavra'd me on the spot," a painting of an old man with a grey beard said in an uncaring voice.

Sirius bit his entire lower lip, forcing himself forward, his breathing ragged as his chest rose and fell in a staggered fashion. He just needed to get to his room. His white button-up shirt clung to his back, his whole body covered in a sheen of sweat.

His parents had ordered Kreacher to punish him as soon as he had gotten home. The sadistic elf preferred a hex similar to the Cruciatus curse. It was an attack of the mind and therefore didn't leave marks, but the perceived pain when inflicted felt like a barbed whip ripping through the young wizard's back, and the phantom pains took around a week to wear off almost as if he had been physically injured.

"That's the problem though. Isn't it? If that were still the outcome, instead of a few hex-lashes from the house elf, the lad probably wouldn't have been so foolish in the first place. They've grown too lax. Consorting with a half-blood, it should have never happened," a severe looking witch said as she glowered at the Black heir.

"He's the heir, though. There must be exceptions." The words were met with silence.

Sirius glanced up at the familiar painting who had spoken. The relatively younger wizard stared down at him, his painted eyes almost appearing sympathetic.

Sirius shook his head, loosening the foolish thought from his mind. That was absurd. No one felt sorry for him, let alone a family member, whether he be in painting form or otherwise. The young heir had known the repercussions would be severe if it were ever discovered that he chose to befriend Remus. He had foolishly assumed that they wouldn't find out.

He continued on quickly, his face screwed up in more than just physical pain as he pushed open the door to his room and then shut it as quietly as possible. It wouldn't do to upset his parents so soon after such a thorough punishment.

He grimaced as he climbed up onto his oversized bed. He crawled towards the headboard, collapsing finally on his stomach, his back throbbing as he grabbed a pillow and his shoulders shaking silently as he held the plush cushion securely over his head.

* * *

"Sirius, don't slouch and stop picking at your food," Walburga said in a cool voice to her eldest son as the Black family sat together for dinner on the second Saturday of summer break.

Sirius sat across from Regulus, his younger brother of three years, at the long, ebony table that could easily seat his immediate and extended family, his parents sitting on either end in high-back chairs.

"Yes, Mother," Sirius said dully, forcing himself in a more upright position despite the pain it caused in his still sore back. Why did it still hurt? He suspected that the elf had adjusted the curse to lengthen the after effects.

He stabbed a piece of filet and lifted it to his mouth, forcing himself to chew the bite when all he wanted to do was spit it out and go back to his room.

"Sirius."

Sirius looked up from his plate and met matching grey eyes.

"Yes, Father?"

"I plan to take you to Diagon Alley next month when I return from my business trip to purchase you some early birthday presents. Seeing as how you will be at school when you turn thirteen," Orion Black said, placing his napkin on the table as he studied his son.

Sirius nodded his head slowly in shock. He was certain he must be hearing things. His father never took him anywhere, and he certainly didn't buy him early birthday presents. As far as he knew, his mother had a person shop for all their gifts.

"I expect you will be talking to the headmaster when you return to school?" his father asked before picking up his wine glass and sipping from the tall-stemmed glass, his eyes remaining trained on his son.

Sirius nodded again, swallowing back his questions. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now if you'll all excuse me." The tall man stood up. "I have work to attend to," he said before walking out of the dining room.

* * *

"Sirius!" Andromeda greeted her cousin as she walked over to the wizard, who was standing by himself outside the shop Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"Hello," he said before casting his gaze back on the broom in the window.

"It's beautiful," the witch said softly as she joined the wizard in his window gazing.

"Yeah. I'd like to go out for the team. I bet I could definitely make it if I had that," he said, eyeing the cutting-edge broom covetously.

"How have things been at home?" the witch asked lightly.

Sirius's muscles tensed. "Why do you ask?" he said in a guarded voice.

Andromeda studied the wizard beside her. "No reason," she responded a little too quickly.

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "Tell me."

His cousin sighed and glanced around quickly. "I overheard my parents talking the other night after dinner. They said that they thought you were being treated a bit too harshly."

They knew? Sirius took a step back, hiding his surprise behind a sneer.

"Well, maybe they should learn to mind their own business," he snapped, his head a swirling mess. Memories of his punishment swam to the surface of his thoughts. He took another step back as his mind threatened to shut down under the suffocating weight of emotions flooding it.

"Sirius, are you okay?" Andromeda reached out a worried hand, causing the boy to take another quick step back to avoid the unwanted contact.

"Just _leave_ me alone," he said, his voice cutting and eyes hard. He fought the urge to run away. _Keep it together._

"All right. I'm sorry," the witch apologized softly.

"Just go." Sirius turned back to stare at the broom, not responding as the witch began to slowly walk away, his body buzzing with a chaotic energy. Why had she acted so sympathetic? They thought his parents were being too hard on him?

A hand landed without warning on the wizard's shoulder suddenly, causing him to jump and shy away. He turned his back to the glass window protectively and found himself looking at a very pleased James Potter.

"What's wrong! Did I scare you?" the messy-haired wizard asked, laughing happily and not noticing the transient look of horror on his friend's face.

Sirius licked his chapped lips, grappling for control of his voice, his breath catching in his throat as his chest fluttered. "What are you doing here?" he asked finally, relaxing slightly when the wizard just laughed again, not seeming to notice the extent of his initial response.

"My dad brought me to buy a broom. What about you?" he asked excitedly.

"Birthday shopping," Sirius answered blandly, reminding himself the gifts were not without implied stipulations.

"It's your birthday today?" James asked, an easy smile gracing his face.

"No. My birthday is the third of November. It's an early shopping trip," Sirius said.

"Lucky you."

Sirius let out a harsh laugh. "Yeah, _lucky_ me."

James frowned, his eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "Yeah, so," he paused for a moment, glancing around uncomfortably until his gaze settled on the window behind his friend and the object peering through it. His eyes lit with excitement once more. "Are you going to get a broom, too?"

Sirius turned and faced the window to the quidditch shop. "I don't know. I'd like one, though," he said wistfully.

"Then you shall have one."

Sirius swallowed hard, just then taking notice of the shadow that had fallen upon him moments earlier. He turned slowly to see his father standing behind him. He didn't think he cared about him being friends with James, but at that moment he wished he'd never ran into his friend.

"You must be Charlus and Dorea's son." Orion held out a hand to James, no smile alighting his face. "I am Sirius's father." He looked down at the boy with an unreadable expression.

James took the hand and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Black," he said courteously.

"James, there you are," Charlus Potter called out, walking briskly towards the three wizards. He stopped, placing a hand on his son's shoulder before looking at the two dark-haired wizards.

"Orion, it's good to see you," Charlus said, the hesitance in his voice going undetected as he held out a hand to the younger man of ten years.

Orion raised one darkly arched eyebrow before offering his own hand in greeting. "Yes. How is Dorea?" he asked in a reserved manner.

"She's well. And Walburga?" the bespectacled wizard inquired.

Orion nodded once, not offering a verbal response.

"So, it appears our sons have made fast friends," Charlus said, motioning to the two boys standing side-by-side.

Sirius held back a cringe.

Orion took a step closer to Sirius, who resisted the urge to move away.

"It appears so."

James cleared his throat loudly.

Charlus shot him a warning look before glancing back at the somber wizard. "Would you like to have a drink together and let the boys shop for brooms?"

"Of course," Orion said politely, his eyes remaining impassive.

* * *

"Wow, your father is a scary bloke," James said as he and Sirius stood inside the broom shop.

Sirius ran his hand along the floor model that had been on display in the window. He shrugged his shoulders in response.

"I suppose you get to used it, though," James said, his statement sounding more like a question as he eyed his friend curiously.

Sirius let out a dark laugh and shook his head. "No, you really don't."

"Ah," James said in an unsure manner as he eyed his friend, who was acting rather unusually. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's buy a broom!"

Sirius looked to his friend, his lips turning upward into a smile for the first time in over a month.

* * *

Sirius walked into his room, shutting the door as quietly as he could in his excitement. He placed his bags neatly on the floor by his dresser and then set the long, rectangular box under his arm on top of his bed.

He smiled as he pulled off the box's top and gazed down at the newly purchased broom. It was by far the best on the market, and his father had gotten it for him. His smile dropped. _I have to switch Houses this year._ He let out a shaky breath. _Maybe I can still be friends with — James and Peter,_ he thought to himself.

Sirius frowned and closed the lid back on the broom before sliding it under his bed and out of sight.

He walked over to the wardrobe, opening it and searching half-heartedly for clothes for dinner. _Remus will understand... Well, he would if I explained it to him, but I can't really do that._ He pulled out a shirt and change of slacks and tossed them in frustration on his bed. Remus was his friend. A better one than he deserved. He couldn't just abandon him. _It'll just have to be a secret,_ he thought as he unbuttoned his shirt quickly to change, his mood lightening somewhat as he plotted.

* * *

Sirius walked into one of the many libraries in the House of Black. The four walls were covered from floor to ceiling with dark wooden shelves, which were filled with old books. The expansive room itself was lit with tall candles in intricately designed silver sconces as the two story high windows were dressed with tightly pulled, blood-red drapes to keep out the cheerful sunlight.

He walked at a lazy pace, the floor creaking under his feet as he moved along the perimeter of the room, his fingers running idly along the dusty spines.

He was bored. His younger brother was being not-so-subtly kept from his presence by the house elves and going outside wasn't really an option, seeing as how he wasn't allowed to interact with the neighbors. And his usual monthly, summer visit to his Uncle Alphard's had been cancelled due to his grounding. He let out a sigh. He stopped suddenly when a howl ripped from the pages of one of the books he had just touched. He leaned forward and read the worn title printed on the spine of the grey book.

_The Art of Hunting Werewolves_.

Sirius cocked his head as he reached out and ran a finger down the bound work again. The howl let loose once more, the sound clicking in his mind in an unsettling manner.

He wrapped his fingers around the book and pulled it out. On the front was embossed, in almost the same color as the cover, a side-view of a row of sharp teeth clenched tightly together. Sirius touched the leather experimentally near the canines and a wolf's face suddenly sprung forth, pushing at the cover it was seemingly trapped behind as if it wanted nothing more than to escape and tear him to pieces.

Sirius pulled back his hand in shock before a surprised laugh escaped his lips.

The dark-haired wizard stared down at the viciously snarling book.

An odd look slowly took over his features.

He smiled.

* * *

"Sirius, your mother and I will both be taking you to the train tomorrow," Orion said as he walked into the library where Sirius was reading. It was the first Thursday in August, and classes started back up the following Monday.

The young wizard set down the grey leather book he had been reading every day since he had found it and stood up quickly, surprise written all over his features.

"Sir?"

Orion sat down in a chair near his son.

"Yes, Sirius, please sit." The wizard motioned his son back to his seat.

"Have I done something wrong?" he asked nervously as he sat down on the edge.

"No. You've been perfectly behaved this summer," his father said as his gaze bored uncomfortably into Sirius's eyes. He let the words sit for a moment before adding, "Can you explain this past year to me?"

Sirius swallowed, shaking his head when words failed him.

The older wizard let out a deep breath through his nose, his lips pushed together.

"Sirius, you are my son and the rightful heir to the Black fortune. I know that the punishment you received this summer may seem - _excessive_ to many. But it is only because you are destined for greatness and so must be held to a higher standard. You will be punished severely when you do wrong but in turn will be rewarded handsomely when you do right. Do you understand?"

Sirius nodded slowly as he worked hard to maintain eye-contact.

Orion's eyes took on an unhinged look as he continued, "Sirius, you can have _anything_ you desire. You only need ask it of me." He paused, his gaze suddenly sharp in its intensity. "So long as you _respect_ this family's beliefs. Is that _clear_?"

Sirius found himself nodding, as something in the back of his mind shouted at him to stop.

His father smiled, his teeth showing, as he stood up and walked towards his son.

Sirius rose in response, his legs feeling unsteady as he neared.

"You are my first-born, and I care about you _very_ much, Sirius," the wizard said in a smooth, dark voice, placing a hand on his son's shoulder in an oddly comforting gesture as he looked down at him.

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment as the affectionate words washed over him repeatedly. He looked up at his father and smiled back.

"And I care for you too, Father."

* * *

Sirius feigned indifference as he walked beside his father, his mother following them amongst the crowded train platform of nine and three-quarters. Kreacher was trailing behind them all with his luggage, mumbling under his breath and glaring at the wizards they passed.

The young wizard only hoped he didn't run into Remus with his parents around. His eyes flitted from family to family, anxiety hiding behind his aloof gaze as he searched compulsively for the wizard he was afraid to see.

"-Sirius. Sirius, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mother?" Sirius asked, jerking his gaze from the crowd to meet the witch's as they stopped for him to board the Hogwarts Express.

"I said to write us as soon as you have your meeting," she said impatiently. She stood in an elegant long charcoal-colored dress coat. Her silky, black hair was swept up in a tight bun, and her lips were painted a deep crimson red.

Sirius nodded. He opened his mouth to wish his goodbyes when his mother suddenly reached out her arms towards him in an expectant manner. The young wizard's eyes widened in surprise, his mouth remaining slightly open. She hadn't hugged him since before school had started.

"Don't just stand there, gawking," his mother chided.

"Sorry," he said quickly, walking forward and entering the embrace. He buried his face in the soft coat, the familiar scent of his mother warming him as she gave an uncharacteristic light squeeze. He pulled back hesitantly after a few moments, remembering her past instructions, and at a complete loss for words.

"Now, make us proud, Sirius," his father said, stepping forward and placing a hand on his shoulder once more as he looked down at his son, his eyes heavy with meaning.

Sirius nodded jerkily as happiness warred with an undefinable but definitely conflicting emotion in his chest. He pulled out his wand and lifted his trunk with a levitation charm, negating the need for help from the house elf.

* * *

"Sirius, there you are!" James exclaimed as he pushed open the door to the otherwise empty compartment. "What are you doing in here? This isn't our carriage."

Sirius shrugged. "I didn't know we had assigned seating," he said, his tone acerbic despite his excitement at seeing his best friend after so long.

"You are such a prat," James said with an easy laugh, walking into the room, his trunk in tow. "Have you seen Remus or Peter yet?" he asked as he lifted his trunk with a grunt and shoved it on the overhead shelf beside Sirius's.

"No," Sirius said simply. _Remus_. He would have to be very careful this year. His parents had been unusually nice over the summer, barring the first day. Sirius held back a cringe at the errant thought. "They don't _have_ to sit with us every time," he blurted.

James sat down beside his friend, his gaze slightly contemplative. "How was your summer?" he asked, pulling out his wand to play with it.

"Hot," Sirius responded shortly, looking down at his hands. Why had he said that? His summer had certainly been better than many past ones.

"Hey guys," Remus said as he pushed the door open to the compartment in which the two wizards sat.

Sirius felt his breath catch. He shouldn't sit with the wizard. No. No - his parents had only said he wasn't allowed to _interact_ with him. So, as long as nobody outside of James and Peter saw them talk he was still obeying their wishes. As far as they knew.

"Remus, good to see you, mate!" James chirped.

"Hey, Remus," Sirius heard himself say once the door had shut, his voice coming out a little hoarse. He cleared his throat.

Remus picked up his trunk and placed it beside James's before taking the seat across from Sirius. He grinned at James before turning his gaze on Sirius, his expression softening with subtle concern.

Sirius stood up abruptly and pulled out the book he had brought with him. When he touched it the howl startled the other two boys in the compartment.

Sirius sat back down and opened the text to the chapter he had yet to begin reading. _Chapter Twenty - Recognizing a Werewolf in its Human Disguise_.

"Are you _reading_?" James asked, his voice full of distaste as he scooted away from the boy as if the habit was contagious.

"Yes, I didn't have much else to do over the break," he said in a tone that he hoped sounded nonchalant.

"What's it about?" Remus asked slowly.

"It's about hunting werewolves." Sirius studied the picture of a muscular man with a wild look in his eyes curiously. "My grandfather bought it for my father to study when he was first introducing him to the sport. They're actually quite fascinating animals," he said as he began to read, not bothering to look up.

"Isn't that illegal?" James asked as he scooted over curiously.

"Yes, but my family has their own set of rules," he said distractedly as he began to read again. _One of the most prominent features of a non-transformed werewolf is scarring-_

"-Remus, are you _all right_?" James asked suddenly in an alarmed voice.

Sirius peered up, picking up on the tone of his friend, to see a pale Remus standing before them.

"Yeah, you look a bit peaky," Sirius added as the boy in front of him swayed ever so slightly. He reached out a hand to stabilize his friend.

Remus jerked back from the touch, almost falling over in the process. "Ah, no. I'm fine. I, uh, I'm - uh - just going to go look for Peter. He might be lost," he said, forcing out a laugh before turning and bolting from the room.

"What's wrong with him?" James asked.

"No clue," Sirius said, his eyebrows pushed together in confusion.

* * *

**Answers to your questions. Yes, I am still on hiatus. No, this is not an update. Okay, obviously it is, unless you are Author 2, in which case... 'These are not the droids you are looking for.'**

**:-P**

**OH LOOK, a review button. Curious. I wonder what it does...****  
**

**hehe. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Second year is officially here! Oh, and thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They really meant so much to me and inspired me to write this chapter actually. I will get back to you guys soon, I promise. I'm just being a bit unsocial at the moment. :-P**

** xx**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 9~**

* * *

"I'm glad we're not up there again," James whispered to Sirius as another first-year wizard was placed with the help of the Sorting Hat.

Sirius nodded numbly, discreetly taking a bite of the raspberry tart he had swiped from Peter's large stash on the train.

"Remus, are you sure you're feeling all right? You look awful," James said a little too loudly, earning him a glare from Professor McGonagall.

"Yeah, maybe you should go see Madam Pomfrey," Peter suggested quietly.

Remus shook his head as he stared down at his hands in his lap, instead of observing the sorting.

Sirius glanced over at his friend. He really did look under the weather. It was weird though. Sirius thought he had seemed perfectly fine when he first saw him on the train.

The four boys began to clap along with the rest of their table as the last student was sorted into their House.

"Good, now that that's over with we can get down to business," James said happily as food suddenly appeared on all the platters already set out on the tables.

"What's that?" Sirius asked when his friend continued to stare at him with an expectant look on his face, seemingly too excited to eat.

"Our first prank of the year, of course," James said, grinning impishly and holding up a small vial with a deep blue-colored potion inside it.

"What is that?" Remus asked suspiciously, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived.

"A welcome back present for Evans," James said innocently, his grin growing.

Sirius took the potion and studied it thoughtfully before a grin made its way up his lips, mirroring his best friend's.

* * *

"I can't believe Evans got so worked up," James said in an unabashed tone as the four Gryffindors made their way up the stairs to the second-year boys' dorm.

"Yeah, I mean, she kind of looked nice with a head-full of flowers instead of that brash red hair," Sirius said glibly, earning him laughs from both James and Peter as they walked into the room, their trunks already having arrived thanks to the castle's elves.

"It was a little creepy when they started moving though," Peter said, shivering at the recent memory. The flowers coming to life in a Medusa-like fashion had been an unexpected bonus.

Sirius frowned when the sandy-haired wizard didn't protest to their teasing but instead walked silently over to his bed. He had been surprisingly rather quiet about the whole prank.

"We need to get Snivelly next," Sirius said in a hardened voice, trying to goad the wizard into responding, as his gaze followed the sandy-haired boy's movements.

Remus set down a book on his nightstand and then walked over to his trunk as if he hadn't heard.

"What do you have planned?" Peter asked in an excited voice as he took off his school robes to reveal a t-shirt and jeans. The pudgy wizard had clearly gotten past his fear of pranking the Slytherin over the summer.

"Hopefully something good," James said as he flopped onto his new bed, testing its comfort.

Sirius crossed his arms as he watched Remus begin to search through his trunk quietly. He didn't look sick anymore just - upset, maybe?

"Remus, what do you think about casting a shaving charm on Snivels?" he asked loudly.

Remus looked up. "What's that?"

Sirius frowned again. He walked over to the wizard's bed and laid down on it. "Something bothering you?" he asked, hoping that the wizard hadn't noticed he had been purposely avoiding talking to him in the Great Hall. He hadn't had to try too hard, seeing as how Remus had been even less talkative than usual.

"Sirius, get off my bed," Remus said in an uneven voice as he walked over and stood in front of the four-poster, looking down at the wizard.

James let out a barking laugh as he rolled onto his stomach and then scooted over the edge, his upper body hanging off as he fished for something under his own bed.

"Why don't you make me?" Sirius asked in a challenging voice, a smile creeping up his lips in a taunting fashion when he noticed the flare of anger in Remus's eyes.

"Don't be such a git, Sirius," James called from his own bed. "You can share mine if you insist on being such a bloody ponce."

Sirius laughed but didn't move from his spot. "No, I prefer it _here_." He waited patiently for the wizard to shove him off or possibly join him.

"That's fine. I need to go to the library for a book anyway," Remus said, not making eye-contact with the wizard lying on his bed. "I'll see you guys in a bit."

Sirius pushed himself upright as he watched the wizard leave the room, the door shutting behind him. "Well, that was no fun," he said in a disgruntled voice before pushing himself off the bed. He turned to look at James, who was lying on his bed with his eyes shut. He decided to take up his friend on his offer. He took a running start.

"Aghh! _Sirius_!"

* * *

Sirius laid awake in his bed late Sunday night, his curtains drawn. It had been two days, and Remus had barely acknowledged his existence. At first Sirius had thought the wizard was upset with all of them, but then Remus had slowly begun to talk to James and Peter. But not him.

Sirius pushed his blankets down angrily, kicking at them when they got stuck around his ankles. What had he done? He knew he hadn't been talking to the wizard in public, but Remus hadn't been talking to him either, not in public or private. _It's as if he doesn't like me anymore. How dare he. And after all I went through! Does he think he's too good for me? That I'm not good enough to be his friend?_ Sirius shoved his curtains back and pushed himself out of bed. He strode over to the sandy-haired wizard's bed and pulled the curtains aside.

Remus let out a surprised gasp and then covered his face. He had been sitting awake. "Go away, Sirius!" he whispered, not looking up.

Sirius steeled himself and climbed inside the bed instead and let the curtains close behind him. He sat stubbornly at the end of the bed. They both sat silently for a few moments.

"What do you want?" Remus asked quietly.

"I, I don't know," Sirius responded, suddenly feeling at a loss for words. He bit his lip as he scrambled for something to say when he heard the wizard sniff, the sound suspiciously snotty. "Remus, is something wrong?" he asked, crawling up beside his friend and placing a concerned hand on the boy's arm.

Remus pulled away from the touch and leaned back against the headboard. "I'm fine. I'm - just missing home is all," he said in an unconvincing manner.

"Yeah?" Sirius bit the inside of his cheek. "I thought maybe you were upset with me over something," he said hesitantly.

Remus sucked in a breath. "No, uh, you haven't done anything. Why would you think I was upset with you?"

"Just a feeling, I suppose." Sirius leaned back, his arm brushing the wizard's unintentionally. He relaxed slightly when Remus didn't pull away from the touch. He nudged the wizard beside him in a conspiratorial fashion. "It was pretty funny when Snivellus looked in the mirror today, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that was an impressive disillusionment charm you cast," Remus said, laughing softly at the memory.

Sirius had cast a charm on Snape's hair in the Great Hall to make it appear as if the Slytherin was bald when he peered into a mirror. He had stomped off and immediately told on the wizards. He had been so upset he hadn't even thought to check if it was really gone.

"I can't believe that Slughorn gave him detention and deducted House points when he thought he was lying," Sirius snorted, nudging the wizard's leg with his own.

Remus laughed. "Yeah, how did you learn that charm anyway?"

Sirius stiffened slightly. "I found it in a book over break," he said, trying to not focus on his time at home. He was a little surprised at how happy he was to be back at school and amongst his friends.

Remus didn't respond immediately. They sat in silence in the dark.

Sirius yawned and scooted down further on the bed.

"Sirius?" Remus finally said in a timid voice.

"Hmmm?" Sirius laid his head on the wizard's shoulder, happy to be interacting with the quiet wizard once more.

"Uh, why are you reading that book on _werewolves_? What's your - goal?"

"_Goal_?" Sirius snuggled closer. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, his eyes closing as he relaxed even further against Remus.

"Yeah. I mean. You mentioned your father studying it to... What I _mean_ to say is-"

Sirius's mind shut down as he slipped away, sleep pulling him under and away from the conscious world and Remus's voice.

* * *

"Sirius. Sirius, wake up."

Sirius groaned and scooted closer to the heat source beside him, his eyes stubbornly remaining shut.

"_Sirius_!" The hissed word was followed by a smack on the face.

"Wha?" Sirius's eyes popped open to find Remus staring at him with an odd look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"You're, uh — hugging me," Remus said in an uncomfortable voice.

"Oh," Sirius paused, looking down at his leg and arm he had draped across his friend. "So I am." He unwrapped his limbs from the wizard beside him and then pushed himself up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"What time is it?" he asked, plopping back down on the bed when his muscles protested at his too-upright position.

"Time to stop cuddling," James said, pulling the curtains aside and grinning down at his two friends. "I swear, I am starting to get _really_ offended. Why don't you two ever invite me to your sleepovers?"

"Because you arse is too fat," Sirius said, flipping his friend off.

"Oi! I'll have you know that my arse is just right. In fact, I caught Evie checking it out the other day at lunch," he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Remus let out a laugh, and Sirius joined in with him.

James crossed his arms as he glared down at his two friends. "I'm serious! She _was_!" he insisted.

"No, _I'm_ Sirius," the aptly-named wizard protested, ignoring the groans from his joke as he pushed himself up and off Remus's bed and onto the cold, morning floor.

"Where's Peter?" Sirius asked, glancing over at the wizard's empty bed as he grabbed a change of clothes from his trunk.

"He went to shower already," James said, grabbing a tie and draping it over his left shoulder as he sat down on his bed and shoved his feet into his still-laced shoes. "We had better hurry if we want to get breakfast. There's only fifteen minutes left until they start clearing the tables."

"Yeah, come on, Remus," Sirius said, buttoning his shirt quickly and forgoing a shower to make it in time to eat. He pulled on his slacks and turned to see the sandy-haired wizard sleeping again.

"We should probably wake him," James said in an uncertain voice as he eyed the notoriously grumpy wizard.

"Yeah, go for it," Sirius said, motioning at the sleeping wizard, who just then made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl as if he knew what they were planning.

The two dark-haired wizards exchanged glances, matching smiles appearing on their faces.

"We could leave-"

"-Peter to do it."

The two wizards took off and out of the room, shoving each other as they raced down the stairway to breakfast.

* * *

"Peter, what _happened_ to you, mate?" James asked.

Sirius exploded into peals of laughter as he looked upon the visibly shaken wizard and an apologetic-looking Remus.

"It was an accident," Remus said quickly as he and Peter took the table behind James and Sirius in Transfiguration. "I'm _really_ sorry, Peter."

* * *

"Sirius, how was your summer break?" Greg Zabini asked as he sat down beside the Gryffindor in Charms class.

Sirius glanced over at the Slytherin wizard. "It was _all right,_" he said evasively. Why did everyone insist on asking him that same question?

Greg grimaced, nodding as he spoke, "That's about how mine went, too," he said in a knowing tone.

Sirius's dark eyebrows raised at the understanding words. He had begun to think he was the only wizard who hadn't had a wonderful break. "Yeah, I got a new broom, though," he said sardonically.

"Ah." The Slytherin patted him on the shoulder. "Sounds like you might have had a worse one than me then. I only got a new familiar."

The two wizards pulled out their books as Flitwick walked into the room.

Sirius had decided he liked Greg, but he hated his two friends, Goyle and Crabbe. He hadn't eaten with them again after their fight, and he was only planning to sit with Zabini a couple days out of the week. He didn't want to cut all ties from Slytherin. He would need a friend when the time came to switch Houses. Which wouldn't be any time soon.

Sirius had dutifully requested an appointment with Dumbledore the first day back and had received correspondence just that morning that the Headmaster had two openings. One in a month's time and the other on the fourth Sunday in May - The end of the year. Sirius had initially been tempted to take the first meeting time until he realized that if he chose the latter he could stay in Gryffindor until right before he went home. He thought it was a rather good plan and one that while his parents wouldn't be overly pleased with wouldn't punish him for.

* * *

"I'm not sure. Ask _Sirius_," James said rather pointedly.

"Sirius, what do you think?" Remus asked, his voice unsure as he spoke to the wizard sitting across from him at the Gryffindor table.

Sirius didn't look up from his plate. The four boys were sitting at lunch on a stormy Wednesday in mid-September. He shrugged his shoulders but refused to speak or make eye-contact with the wizard, ignoring the growing guilt he felt each time after blowing off his friend. He was sure Remus had noticed. Why didn't he say anything about it? It only made Sirius feel worse, because it almost made him feel like Remus thought he didn't deserve to be treated any better. _No, he's just being polite, _he thought, trying in vain to ease his conscience.

"You don't _care_? Is that what that shrug meant?" James asked, offense dripping from his every word. "No opinion at all?" His voice grew more abrasive as he spoke.

Sirius looked up. "I didn't say that. I just - whatever you guys want I suppose." He looked back down at his plate. He had noticed Snape watching him closely at meals. He couldn't have the wizard tell his parents he was still friends with Remus. He fumed as he pushed the food around on his plate. He needed a way to keep the Slytherin quiet. _But how?_

"Maybe we could learn the Unbreakable Vow spell," Remus said in a joking manner, trying to diffuse the sudden tension.

"_What_." Sirius's head popped up suddenly.

Remus furrowed his eyebrows, lowering his glass of pumpkin juice back to the table. He looked surprised at being addressed by him. "I was only joking, Sirius. We can't use that spell. It's very dangerous. And I'm not sure if it would even work for the assignment."

Sirius glanced over at Snape, who had clearly just been staring at him. "Nonsense, it's _perfect_." He smiled widely at the Slytherin, causing him to narrow his eyes before looking away uncomfortably. He knew what to do with his little problem. He pushed himself up out of the seat.

"James, come on, let's go."

* * *

"What's up?" James asked as he walked alongside Sirius as they made their way through the empty library.

"You're my best friend. Right?" Sirius asked somewhat nervously as he stopped in front of the restricted area in the library.

"Yeah, of course, I am," James said, worry tingeing his words. "What's wrong?"

"All right." Sirius swallowed hard, nodding as he worked up the courage to speak. He had to tell him if he was going to get his help. He glanced around to confirm they were in fact alone. "I'm not allowed to be friends with Remus," he whispered.

"_What_!"

"Shhhhh," Sirius hissed and pulled the wizard into the restricted section before Madam Pince returned from eating in the Great Hall. "My parents. They're. Well, you know how they are," he said, running an agitated hand through his shaggy, black locks.

James nodded begrudgingly.

"Right. Well, someone told on me last year. Sent my parents a note near the end of the year and told them I was friends with Remus," Sirius said as he searched the shelves for the book they would need. He had seen it before in his family's library.

"You got in trouble?" James asked quietly. He had noticed his friend had been off when he went broom shopping with him but hadn't known what to make of it.

"Yeah, a _lot_." Sirius grimaced. He took in a deep breath, shaking his head to clear his mind. "Anyway, I think I know who it was. Who told." He looked at James meaningfully.

"Snape," James said suddenly.

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. So, if we could make sure it was him and figure out this spell too-"

"-Then you could talk to Remus again," James said, finishing his sentence. He had been wondering why Sirius was being so aloof with their friend the past few weeks every time they were in public. He could tell it was bothering Remus, but the wizard never brought it up. He looked around the restricted books and then back at a questioning Sirius. He nodded quickly. "Yeah, okay, I'll help you."

* * *

**I evidently suck at being on Hiatus. **

**I'm on a roll. :-)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Okay, so Sirius has a bit of a temper. Obviously if you've read HP you already know this. But, yeah. This Sirius will have his ups and downs for sure. He will have plenty of sweet moments to come though. With Remus that is. ;-)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 10~**

* * *

"Sirius, wake up! Quidditch tryouts are today!"

Sirius's eyes popped open. _Quidditch_. He pushed his blankets down and rolled out of bed. He stood and stretched his hands up over his head, letting out a loud groan as his tired muscles resisted.

"Remus, are you and Peter going to come watch the tryouts?" James asked the wet-haired boy as he walked into the room, having just showered.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Remus said dully as he rubbed his head with a towel, walking over to his trunk and leaning over it stiffly.

"You're awake already?" Sirius asked in surprise. He studied the wizard as he stood up slowly and then walked over to his bed. He appeared to have a slight limp.

Remus nodded, his mouth tightening in a thin line as he settled down on his bed. "Yeah, couldn't sleep," he said, looking over at a still-slumbering Peter and avoiding Sirius's gaze.

Sirius tilted his head as he continued to stare at the wizard.

Remus had been acting a bit off ever since his trip home the day before. He wasn't eating much and was moving around in a way that Sirius could only describe as 'careful'.

"Nightmares?" Sirius guessed.

"No, I just have a lot on my mind," Remus said quietly.

He watched as Remus moved to lie down, noticing a grimace overtake his features momentarily. "You don't have to come today if you don't feel up to it," Sirius offered, still watching the wizard curiously.

James scoffed. "Of course he does, he's our good luck charm. You always fly much better when he's around. You're okay, right Remus?" he said as he grabbed the newly purchased Quidditch robes from his trunk.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little stiff from sleeping funny," Remus said, his eyes shutting as he rested.

_He's lying_, the thought popped into Sirius's mind unexpectedly.

"Yeah? It looked like you were limping," Sirius said in feigned nonchalance, all feelings of guilt leaving him when the wizard's eyes shot open in surprise. He was right.

"Stop chatting and hurry up, Sirius! We're going to be late for tryouts!" James shouted as he pulled out his broom. The fully-dressed wizard glared at his pajama-clad friend.

Sirius glanced to Remus, who had sat up and was staring at his slacks, and then back at a very displeased James.

"Yeah, all right."

He turned and started searching through his trunk in a distracted fashion.

* * *

Sirius sat on his new broom, his left hand holding the handle securely as he held a beater's bat in his right. He smiled when James let out a victorious whoop after scoring yet another ten points against the current Gryffindor team as they scrimmaged.

The tryouts were set up as mock games, newcomers versus the remaining team.

Sirius leaned forward, his new broom picking up speed as he spotted a bludger flying towards him. He pulled up sideways on the hilt of his broom, coming to a sudden stop and swung back his bat.

He hit the bludger with as much force as he could and was rewarded with a loud, satisfying _crack_ as it shot off like a bullet in the intended direction. It hit the side of the opposing team's star player, the Gryffindor Team Captain, squarely in the side of his ribcage, knocking him cleanly off the broom. He spiraled pleasantly toward the ground, hitting it with a small thump.

* * *

"Sirius Black, you are one brutal Beater. You are going to do well on this team." Benedict Hewitt, a sixth-year and the interim captain, clapped the wizard on his back as he let out a hearty laugh.

Sirius grinned and turned to see an equally happy James talking excitedly to one of the chasers already on the team.

* * *

"So, what are we going to do for your birthday this year?" James asked Sirius lazily as he looked out at the tree-line of the Forbidden Forest.

It was a surprisingly warm day, and the four boys were lying in the grass near the lake, soaking up the soon-to-be gone sunlight after classes. They were the only students outside.

"Not go to class for one," Sirius said, his eyes closed as the sun beat down on him.

"When's your birthday?" Remus asked, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"In four days," Sirius said sleepily.

"How old will you be?" Peter asked.

"Thirteen, you dolt." Sirius frowned when Remus didn't chastise him.

"Wait! I know what we can do!" James said suddenly, pushing himself upright.

"What's that?" Sirius blocked the sun with his hands as he opened his eyes and looked over at the wizard questioningly.

"It's a surprise!" James stood up. "Just wait," he said, running off without a goodbye. Peter got up and followed behind him.

"He's so excitable." Sirius closed his eyes back as he enjoyed the heat on his exposed skin. He had his top few buttons undone and his sleeves pushed up. He shaded his eyes once more to look at his non-responsive friend. "Remus?"

"Oh." Remus blinked a few times and looked away from the wizard. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

Sirius laughed. "I said - oh, never mind. What's got you so distracted today?"

Remus jerked his gaze back to the smiling wizard. "I'm not distracted."

"All right. Then what were we just talking about?" Sirius raised his eyebrows as he waited for an answer.

"Oh. Um... Yeah - I haven't the faintest."

"My _birthday_, Remus." Sirius reached out a finger and tapped the wizard on his knee in a reminding gesture. "I wouldn't be surprised if you forgot it, you've been so off," he said.

"No. That's not true. It's just. I won't be able to be here for it is all," he said quietly.

"Oh." Sirius sat up suddenly. "You're going home then?" he asked. The thought bothered him. The sandy-haired boy had been coming back looking worse and worse ever since the time he had come back with a limp, which he had denied ever having.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I'm really sorry, Sirius. If I could stay, I would."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders and stood up, glancing around them for other students. "No big deal," he said. "Come on, we better go before James hexes all my stuff as a gift," he joked.

Remus stood up, smiling tightly. "Yeah, actually now that you say that it sounds about right."

The two wizards walked towards the castle, Sirius glancing around occasionally.

* * *

"Happy birthday!"

Sirius startled as he stood just inside the dorm with only a towel wrapped around his hips. It was late Friday night, the day before his birthday, and his three friends were standing in the middle of the room looking rather suspicious.

"It's not my birthday." He dead-panned.

"We know that, you tosser," James said, rolling his eyes. "But we wanted to celebrate while Remus was still here. He has to leave in the morning," he said.

Sirius smiled widely at his three friends.

"All right, well what do you have planned?"

"All in due time, but first you must put on some clothes," James responded matter-of-factly.

* * *

"What are we doing up here?" Sirius asked as they reached the top of the stairs to the Astronomy Tower.

"We're going to have a party!" James said enthusiastically as they stood under the night sky.

Sirius looked around at the tower. "Right. And what are we going to do during this _party_?" he asked, skeptically eyeing the very empty space.

"This." James proudly held out a bottle of firewhiskey and a deck of exploding snaps.

"And we got the elves to make this," Peter said, walking over to a bench and pulling out a chocolate cake from under it.

Sirius grinned.

* * *

"And then I told her." James hiccuped. "I told her that I was twice, _twice_ the wizard Sirius Black could ever hope to be."

Sirius took the bottle from his friend, who was drinking at a much quicker pace than him, and took a swig. "I can't believe she didn't go for that," he said with a mischievous grin.

"I know!" James groaned and tossed down his card, causing it to explode. "I think I may just give up on witches."

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Probably a good idea."

Remus shook his head. "Peter fell asleep," he said, pointing at the curled up wizard.

"He's such a lightweight," Sirius said, taking another sip.

"When have you ever drank before tonight?" Remus asked skeptically.

"Christmas," Sirius supplied easily.

"Boxing Day," James chipped in.

"New Year's," Sirius added.

"My grandmother's hundredth birthday," James said before taking another sip.

Remus's chin dropped.

"Yeah, you see, Remus," James began to explain. "The adults, once - once they all get _pissed_ enough. They just start _offering_ you sips."

"Or one of them inevitably ends up pouring you a glass of champagne, saying it's _really _weak, somehow forgetting that you're terribly underage," Sirius finished for his friend happily.

James nodded his agreement. "Here, have a sip," he said, offering the bottle to the sober wizard.

"I probably shouldn't." Remus took the bottle, setting it down in front of him instead of drinking from it.

"But it's my birthday!" Sirius wheedled.

"Yeah, come on, Remus," James said, tossing down another card just to watch it explode. He glanced over at Peter who hadn't roused in the least from the loud noise. "How does he sleep through that?"

Sirius studied Peter closely. "Maybe he's dead."

James looked at the sleeping wizard. "You might be right. I know how to find out," he said, holding up another card and turning to Sirius.

The wizard nodded solemnly in encouragement before responding, "I believe it's the only way."

"No!" Remus blocked James's throw, moving in front of the sleeping boy. "James, don't throw that at Peter. He's not dead, I assure you," he said.

"But he _deserves_ it, Remus. He ate almost all my cake. All of it," Sirius insisted.

"It's-it's true. I saw him go back for fourths," James added, holding up four fingers and nodding his head emphatically.

"It was fifths, actually," Remus conceded, smiling begrudgingly. "But, you still shouldn't throw a card at him," he persisted.

"Fine." James tossed the card to the ground, finding the explosion not nearly as exciting as it had been only a moment earlier.

"We should do something fun," Sirius said, lying back on the stone floor and looking up at the night sky.

"How about we go to sleep?" Remus provided, lying down on the floor beside the wizard and yawning.

"That actually doesn't sound too bad," James said, settling down on Sirius's other side.

"Yeah, it might be nice sleeping under the full moon," Sirius said, stifling a yawn, his brain sluggish from the combination of alcohol and exhaustion.

"It's not a full moon," Remus muttered quietly under his breath, talking to himself.

"What?" Sirius asked abruptly, just catching a couple of the words but not able to make sense of them.

"Nothing," Remus said quickly.

They laid quietly for a few minutes, while Sirius considered getting up and going down to his comfortable bed but found he didn't have the energy just then to accomplish such a task. He heard James's breathing begin to even out as his friend fell asleep, lying beside him. He glanced over to see Remus still awake.

Sirius placed his hands behind his head. "So, are you nervous about going home tomorrow?" he asked the sandy-haired boy quietly as he stared up at the clear night sky.

"Yeah," Remus said in a rough voice.

"Your mother's not doing as well?" he asked, trying to figure out what had changed over the last few visits.

"No, she's worse. _Much_ _worse_." Remus's voice grew thick as he continued to speak, "It was _expected_, but it doesn't make it any easier."

Sirius pushed his lips together. He wished he could help his friend somehow, but he wasn't sure what the actual problem was. "I'm sorry, Remus."

"Don't be. It's fine."

Sirius thought it was anything but fine by the sound of Remus's voice, but he just nodded in response. He looked over at his friend and noticed a worried look marring his expression.

Remus let out a deep breath and spoke up again as he stared at the sky, "I'm really sorry I can't be here tomorrow."

Sirius forced a grin and spoke in a teasing manner, "As you should be. Now I'll have to spend my whole birthday with James and Peter," he paused, his voice taking on a gracious tone as he continued, "Although it _is_ after midnight, so you were here for some of it. I suppose I'll forgive you for abandoning me - but just this once."

Remus quirked a smile. "You're a fair and benevolent friend, Sirius Black," he said.

Sirius grinned up at the stars. "It's because I'm a teenager now. I've grown wise in my old age," he said matter-of-factly.

"So, you feel older _already_, do you?" Remus asked wryly.

Sirius let out a laugh. "Yes, a whole flipping day older."

Remus laughed softly.

Sirius smiled at the sound. "I'll miss you tomorrow." The words fell from his mouth before he could stop them.

"_You will_?" Remus turned his head and looked at the wizard beside him, his eyes too lucid and contemplative for Sirius's comfort.

The tall wizard suddenly felt very uneasy. He pushed himself up.

"We should go to bed," he said, looking anywhere but at Remus.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Sirius."

Sirius looked up from his lunch to see Evie Greengrass standing in front of the empty seat where Remus usually sat. The wizard had left that morning before his friends had even woken up, the three boys having slept in until noon.

"Hello, Evie," he said, winking at the blonde witch.

The girl smiled, blushing as she sat down in Remus's chair and almost giving James a heart attack in the process.

"I got you a birthday present," she said in a soft voice.

Sirius grinned at the pretty fourteen-year-old. "Oh yeah?"

She nodded and placed a small wrapped box on the table in front of her. "I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will," he said, reaching out and taking the box. The wrapping was golden and there was a Gryffindor-red silk bow tied around it. He pulled of the bow and tore off the wrapping to reveal a small, square wooden box. He lifted the lid and inside was a golden snitch nestled safely in green silk.

"It's a practice snitch. Well, it's a real snitch, but my father had it re-enchanted to work like a practice one, because the practice ones are a bit cheap-looking."

Sirius lifted the snitch from the box. Just then a flash of his other birthday Quidditch gift flitted through his mind unbidden.

"It's really nice. But, I'm not a seeker," he said flatly.

"Oh, I. I know that. I just thought you might like it. As a token," the girl said in a rushed voice.

Sirius set the snitch back in the box. He looked up at the witch. "A _token_?"

"Yes, of, of our friendship," she said nervously.

Sirius put the lid on the box. "_I see._" An odd sensation began to come over him. He felt angry and like he wanted to scream. They were not _friends_. And if she thought she could just buy him something to make it so, she was sorely mistaken. She was a friend of the family. Period. He held back the fury lashing at his chest and forced himself to look back up at the blonde.

"Well, thank you, Evie. I really appreciate it," he said in what he hoped was a polite tone.

The girl nodded and smiled at him as she stood up. "I'll see you around then?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course. We do attend the same school," he said coolly.

The girl blinked. "Right. Happy birthday, Sirius."

Sirius dipped his chin in acknowledgement and then watched the witch walk away. A hand suddenly smacked the back of his head.

"Oi! What was that for, Potter!" Sirius shouted, rubbing the back of his head before elbowing his friend soundly in the chest and eliciting a groan.

"Why were you so mean to her?" James asked in a heated voice as he rubbed his aching ribs.

"I _wasn't_. I said _thank you," _he snapped. "I just don't need this silly gift." He pushed the expensive present away from himself and over to James.

"Here, you can have it."

* * *

"My parents are going to come to our game against Slytherin next week," James said, an exhausted smile turning up his lips. "They said that they were excited to see you play, too. And they got permission from Dumbledore to take us to Hogsmeade after."

A warm feeling settled in Sirius's stomach. "Tell them thanks for me," he said as he walked beside James and away from the Quidditch pitch after an hour-long practice. Sirius swung his bat around lazily, carrying his broom in his other hand.

The recovered team captain had instructed him not to actually hit any of his teammates during practice, and so the wizard busied himself by seeing how close he could hit it at them without actually doing so.

"They also said to tell you and Remus that you're welcome to stay over Christmas again this year," James said as they made their way through the corridors

"Sounds nice," Sirius said in a non-committal tone. He didn't look forward to asking his parents for permission. He hadn't even told them that he had made the Quidditch team. He was sure they wouldn't be pleased.

"Well, look who it is," James said in an excited voice, stopping abruptly at the bottom of the stairway and causing Sirius to look up.

"Snivelly," Sirius snarled as he watched Snape walking down the stairs, Crabbe and Goyle a few steps behind him. He grabbed James's sleeve and pulled him back around the corner so that their backs were pressed against the side of the staircase and not visible to the wizards on them.

"Snape, were you just with that little Gryffindor mudblood again?" Goyle's voice carried loudly down the empty staircase.

"That's none of your concern." Snape's sharp response surprised the concealed Gryffindors.

"Oh, I think it is," Crabbe spoke up, and the two wizards heard some scuffling and then Snape let out a cry.

James and Sirius looked up to see the wizard hanging halfway over the stairs.

"Listen here, you filthy half-blood. If you speak to me again like that you will regret it. Is that understood?" Goyle held his wand to the wizard's neck.

"We're on the same side here. There's no need for threats. In fact, I have been helping you with Black."

Sirius and James watched as the Slytherin was pulled back up and set roughly on his feet as he leaned against the railing.

"How so?" Crabbe asked.

"Let's just say that I made sure he had a _painful_-ly long summer," the wizard drawled.

"You need to know your place, Snape. He is of pure blood, and we don't need help from a greasy bastard like you," Goyle hissed.

Sirius's hand clenched tightly around his bat. It _was_ him. And it was also clear he knew what would happen when he told. Sirius's eyes closed as fury billowed noxiously in his chest.

James grabbed the wizard's arm. "Calm down, Sirius," he whispered in his ear. "We'll get him back."

Sirius swallowed, nodding as he forced the anger down, the action causing the pain he had felt and wanted to in turn inflict on the wizard inward once more.

"Let's go," Sirius said harshly as he fought to maintain clarity in his jumbled mind. He gave himself a mental head shake and then stepped forward and made his way around the stairs, James walking by his side.

He looked up to see the three Slytherins separating, suspicious looks on their faces.

"Hello, Jonathan - Vincent," Sirius said in a smooth voice, smiling politely at the two wizards as he walked up the stairs.

"Sirius," Goyle said, stepping away from Snape. "Good to see you, Mate," he said, no hint of deception in his voice.

Sirius looked to Crabbe expectantly.

"Hello, Sirius," he said quickly, forcing a smile that wasn't as convincing.

Sirius looked at Snape, his eyes shifting away immediately. "I see you're having a little fun with Snivelly," he said in a cold voice as he approached the two wizards. When he reached the landing he stopped, James by his side.

"Potter," Crabbe and Goyle almost said in unison.

James nodded at the two boys.

Goyle turned his gaze on Snape. "Yeah, just giving him some helpful advice is all," he said, shooting the fellow Slytherin a meaningful look.

"How thoughtful of you," Sirius said, his eyes growing darker as he looked upon the wizard once more. He would silence him once and for all. The thought forced a laugh from his lips that ended up sounding a little too loud and slightly unhinged, causing the three Slytherins to shoot him an odd look.

James gave his friend's shoulder a grounding squeeze before moving towards the staircase to leave. Sirius followed him, a dark smile playing at his lips.

* * *

**On hiatus? Not on hiatus? Who knows. Not I. _Not I. _**

**Brain hurts.**

**:-P**


	11. Chapter 11

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**LONG Author's Note: Hey guys! *Author waves shyly* I just wanted to take a moment to thank all you for reading this story. I've been kind of cruddy with responding as of late, and so I just wanted to let you all know that I really do ridiculously appreciate your guys's reviews. And I don't just feel that way because of the numbers, but because I thoroughly enjoy hearing what you all are thinking about the story - the good and the bad. ****The former is always loved because it is encouraging and uplifting, and a real confidence boost to my sometimes lacking ego. It really helps me push through tough points where I'm unsure and feel a little like giving up because I'm worried I'm just botching things up terribly. The latter, criticism, is also appreciated as well, and even though it's not nearly as much fun and can be hard at first to take without feeling personally insulted, or worse, thinking that my writing blows. Hehe. I always feel that when I do get constructive criticism and take it for what it is - offered help with a skill I am still honing - that I grow a little and become a better writer for it. **

**So, I guess I'm just trying to say... THANK YOU. I absolutely love sharing my stories with you all, and I get so obscenely excited when you guys in turn share your enjoyment with me it's a little embarrassing. Mwuah. :-P**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 11~**

* * *

"Sirius!" Andromeda ran up beside her younger cousin and his three friends as they walked down towards the Black Lake to find a seat under one of the trees. It was only a week before Christmas break, and the four boys were set on enjoying the sunny, if not necessarily warm, weather.

"Hey, Andromeda," Sirius replied. "These are my friends. James, Remus and Petey."

The witch smiled at the three wizards. "Hello, it's nice to meet you all. I'm Sirius's cousin," she said warmly.

James's eyebrows rose. "_Cousin_?" He studied the witch, who looked suspiciously like a younger version of Bellatrix. "But, you don't seem ev-_Ohhh_." James bent over in pain, having been elbowed in the gut by a discreet Remus.

"Good to meet you, too," Remus said politely. Peter nodded, too shy to say anything to the pretty witch.

Andromeda smiled in amusement.

"Well, I just wanted to say hi. So, I'll be seeing you next week at your parents' parties?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess so," Sirius said, holding back a grimace and instead offering a tight smile. His parents had sent a letter the week before, vetoing his plans to stay with James over Christmas.

"Don't worry. We can keep each other company. We'll just hide out in your bedroom!" She winked and ruffled Sirius's hair, messing it up, before running off.

"Bloody hell! That _hurt_ Remus," James groaned as soon the girl was out of hearing distance.

"Sorry, James," Remus said in a voice that led the other boy to believe he didn't actually mean his apology in the slightest.

"I can't believe term is almost up," Sirius said, smoothing his hair back down as they began walking again. He pushed away the unpleasant thought about facing his parents so soon. He sat down and leaned against the trunk of a tree.

"Your cousin. She's rather pretty... and pleasantly sane to boot," James said in an offhanded manner as he plopped down beside Sirius.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders in a non-committal fashion as he leaned his head back, his eyes closing. _They didn't seem upset in their letter. Not like last time. Maybe it will be a good visit._

"You get along well?" James asked.

Sirius frowned at his friend's peculiar questioning but shrugged it off almost immediately.

"Yeah, we get along usually," he answered distractedly. _They did mention getting me extra presents this year, and with all the parties they'll be rather busy. I'm sure it'll be fine._

"So, are you two arranged for... You know," James asked abruptly.

"_What_?" Sirius opened his eyes and sat upright, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of his friend's words.

"I mean, _you know_," James said, waving his hand in a small circle as if he was explaining himself better with its help.

Sirius stared blankly.

"Sirius," Remus said, garnering the wizard's attention. He cleared his throat. "I think James wants to know if you two are arranged for marriage," he said quickly.

"_Marriage_?" Sirius's head jerked back to James. "Why would you _think_ such a thing?" he asked in a horrified voice.

"Well, I mean... Isn't that kind of a _thing_ in your family?" James asked as he shifted uncomfortably in the grass.

Sirius let out a gasp. It was. His parents', his grandparents' and his great-grandparents' were all arranged marriages. Why hadn't he ever thought of that? And his parents were first cousins. Just like he and Andromeda. _No_.

"But she's his cousin," Peter said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"Shut up." Sirius shoved the boy hard, knocking him over for irritatingly putting voice to his own disturbing thoughts.

"Don't push Peter," Remus said in an irritated voice.

Sirius turned to James. "No, we're _not_," he said adamantly as he glared darkly at his supposed best friend.

"That's cool." James lifted his hands out in front of him in an appeasing gesture. "I was just wondering is all."

"Well, don't. Don't wonder. _Ever again_," he said sharply, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree once more. He stared out at the grounds blindly, his mind trying desperately to self-combust in order to prevent further contemplation.

* * *

Sirius stepped out of the fireplace at Twelve Grimmauld Place. He paused, glancing around the dark sitting room. A familiar heavy feeling began to settle uncomfortably in the pit of his stomach. _I'm not in trouble. I'll just keep busy and behave_, he reassured himself. He would unpack his trunk, which would undoubtedly be waiting for him in his room, and try to visit with his brother. The wizard hoped he wasn't being isolated again. And if all else failed, he could always hide out in the library. The wizard took a steadying breath and moved to leave for his room.

"Sirius."

The young wizard froze mid-step and slowly turned around to face the witch who had just stepped out of the hearth. "Yes, Mother?" he asked politely.

The witch lifted one perfectly manicured eyebrow slowly. "Your Father wishes to speak with you in his study."

Sirius's heart stopped. He cleared his throat. "Of course, I'll go straight away," he said, the strain in his voice barely detectable as he resisted the urge to ask why. He bowed stiffly and then turned and walked out of the room.

Sirius stared down at the floor as he made his way along the dark hallway to his father's study, his mind a buzzing blank as his gaze ran numbly over the intricately designed dark green rug leading a trail to his destination. His steps were muted as he padded along over the plush rug, enchanted silver snakes weaving along through the fabric and following alongside his steps. He focused on keeping his breath steady as he stopped in front of the heavy wooden door to his father's study. He watched as his hand reached out and knocked on the heavy door.

"Come in."

Sirius pushed his lips firmly between his teeth and took in a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

"Sirius. Have a seat." The tall, dark-haired wizard sat behind an oversized mahogany desk with a black marble top. He lifted a hand, motioning to the chair that sat directly in front of him.

"Hello, Father," Sirius forced out as he walked over and sat down in the oversized leather chair. He kept his thoughts at bay and forced a smile.

The older wizard leaned back in his chair, his grey eyes cool as he surveyed his son. "You've grown."

"Yes, sir," Sirius answered quickly.

The tall wizard nodded, seemingly pleased. "I hit my biggest growth spurt the summer before third year. You look like you might do the same."

Sirius only nodded, not sure what his father expected him to say.

"Sirius, do you know why I called you here?" Orion asked, his gaze remaining cool and unreadable.

Sirius swallowed. His chest tightened. "No, Sir," he heard himself say but fearing the worst.

Sirius had done his best to avoid interacting with Remus in public. But he hadn't been perfect. No, sometimes he'd slip up whenever they were having fun, and he'd find himself grinning openly at him, or he'd unthinkingly swing an arm around the quiet boy in his excitement. He had also caved a few times when Remus had seemed upset or sick.

His once quiet mind fishtailed as it slammed into overdrive. _Does he know about Remus? Did Snape send another letter? I should have taken care of him already. What was I thinking? What is he going to do this-_

"-It's because, I have something to give to you," the man said, tearing the boy from his panicked thoughts, his eyes boring into Sirius's as he slid a golden key across the cold marble.

Sirius's gaze locked onto the key, relief coursing through his veins and making him slightly dizzy as his mind worked too hard to convince his sluggish body all was well.

"Take it. It's yours."

The young wizard reached out a hand obediently, wrapping his fingers around the cold metal and picking it up. He held the gift flat in his palm as he looked down at it. It was surprisingly heavy. "What does it open?" he asked quietly.

"Your vault."

Sirius's eyes widened, and he looked up at his father. "I'm sorry?"

"I had a vault at Gringotts made up for your personal spending needs while you are away at school. You may use it at your discretion." The man leaned forward, a smile curling up the corners of his mouth as his eyes remained cold. "You've done well this term, Sirius. Your marks are exceptional. Arthur Zabini informed me you've made friends with his son. You followed my orders regarding the half-blood filth, and you scheduled your meeting with the headmaster. I am pleased. I could only be happier if you had already transferred."

Sirius nodded as his mind swirled in a tempest of conflicting emotions and thoughts. He cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Father."

The wizard nodded. "You may go now."

"Yes, sir." Sirius stood up slowly, the key clenched in his hand. He walked out of the room, his grip tightening further, the gift pressing sharply into his skin.

* * *

Sirius sat at dinner with his brother and mother on the second day of Christmas break, his father having taken dinner in his study.

"Remember, Sirius, you have to be ready by six tomorrow for the party."

Sirius nodded slowly. The young Black heir had been informed at the start of dinner of his new 'obligations'. He wondered what Remus and James were doing at the moment. _Probably something fun,_ he thought caustically.

"Can I go too, Mother?" Regulus asked excitedly as he took another bite of food.

Sirius resisted the urge to flick a pea at his younger brother, who sat across from him, avoiding his gaze and smiling hopefully at their mother.

"No, you'll have to wait until you're older. And don't speak with your mouth full."

Regulus nodded and then swallowed quickly. "Sorry, Mother."

Sirius held back a sigh. He envied his younger brother at that moment. He wished he didn't have to attend either. He had never been made to go to parties outside of family gatherings before, but his mother said that it was tradition to begin attending social parties once a wizard reached their teen years. She had gone on to talk about the importance of connections and possible matches, but Sirius had zoned out by that point. He stared in distaste at the uneaten food on his plate. He pushed a large piece of chicken into his mashed potatoes, hiding it.

"Sirius. What is _this_?"

The wizard's gaze jerked up from his plate. His father was standing above him, holding what appeared to be a letter in his hand.

"A note, I'd assume." The words had escaped Sirius's mouth before he could stop them.

Sirius's chair suddenly jerked back from the table, the legs scraping harshly against the floor. Orion's hands landed on the armrests, gripping them tightly as he leaned down, slowly bringing his livid face level with his son's startled one.

"_Excuse me_?" he hissed, his eyes growing visibly darker before Sirius's alarmed gaze.

"I-I. I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to offend you," he said, his breathing quick and light as he tried to lean further back in his chair, wishing he could sink through it to escape his father's nearness.

Orion studied his son for a moment longer before slowly standing up as he glowered down at him. "It's for you," he said, holding the note out in an ominous manner.

Sirius swallowed hard. He nodded and took the note timidly from his father's hand and then scooted his seat back to the table in an attempt to distance himself. "Thank you, Father."

The young wizard looked down at the folded note. His name was written on the outside in familiar neat hand-writing. _Remus_. Sirius held his breath as his heart hammered wildly in his chest. He hadn't given the wizard his address. _James must have given it to him._ He struggled to keep his hand steady as he set the note down beside his plate, not opening it. He picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of chicken.

"Aren't you going to read it?"

Sirius looked up. "No, sir. I was going to wait until I had eaten," he said, hoping his manners would be a good enough excuse to delay his reading of the note.

"No, I insist." Orion motioned at the note. "_Read it_," he added, his voice more demanding when Sirius only glanced at the letter in an unsure manner.

Sirius felt his heart jump into his throat. _Shit_. He nodded jerkily and lowered his fork before lifting the note once more. He cleared his throat and then slowly broke the seal. He opened it and began to read.

_Sirius,_

_I hope you are having a nice Christmas break so far. James has been keeping me up late and has tried to get me to slide down the banister (which Mrs. Potter had wrapped with garland this year) too many times to count. We both miss you._

_James's parents are planning on taking us to Diagon Alley in two days to do some last minute Christmas shopping. Maybe you could meet us there?_

_Well, James is yelling for me to hurry up so if you cannot make it to meet us, I will see you in a week's time. James says hello and also says to tell you this note is actually from him, despite his not writing any of it. I think he's losing it. _

_Your Friend,_

_James_

There were errant ink marks around the salutation like the quill had been fought over, and James's name was scrawled in large messy letters on the bottom. Sirius set down the note, folding it back and then pressing the broken wax seal together as best he could to keep it from opening. He picked up his fork once more and quickly raised it to his mouth.

"Well?"

Sirius's hand stopped, his fork already halfway to his mouth. He lowered it slowly before looking up into his father's preemptively furious gaze.

"James. It was from James," he heard himself say in an even voice. It was technically true. At least according to the note it was.

"James Potter?" Orion asked, his gaze calculating.

Sirius nodded, his pulse quickening but his expression remaining innocently blank when his father took a step towards him.

"I see." The tall wizard stopped, studying him closely before adding, "Tell him next time not to owl during dinner."

"Yes, sir," he responded, trying to keep the relief that was washing over him from leaking into his voice. He added a nod to enforce his promise. The stressed young wizard watched as his father walked back out of the room, his gaze remaining on the empty doorway as he tried to calm down.

"Eat your dinner, Sirius," Walburga snapped at her son.

"Yes, Mother."

* * *

"Regulus, long time no see," Sirius said in a silky smooth voice, as he stood just inside his younger brother's room before breakfast time. He shut the door.

The boy startled and jumped out of his bed as if he were going to make a run for it.

Sirius advanced quickly on the boy, backing him into the corner. "What's the rush, _brother_?"

"S-Sirius, what are you talking about? We see each other all the time," he said, avoiding eye-contact as he eyed the door wistfully.

Sirius took another step closer, glowering at the smaller boy. Regulus had been steadfastly avoiding him the past few days, but what upset the older wizard most was that it seemed to be of his own choosing.

"Don't play stupid with me. You _know_ what I mean!" he hissed angrily.

Regulus's gaze dropped, and he let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I've just - been terribly busy is all."

Sirius let out a mean laugh at the obvious lie and shoved his brother against the wall, his hand wrapping around his neck. "You're only ten years old, you little shit." He glared down at him with icy grey eyes. "Now, _tell me_."

Regulus let out a whimper as the hand around his neck began to tighten. "All right, I'll tell you!"

Sirius's hand loosened immediately, and he smiled victoriously as he took a small step back. "Well?"

The young wizard's gaze darted around the room nervously as he spoke in a rushed tone, "Kreacher, h-he told me I should stay away from you. He said you were a-a disgrace to the family and your title, and if I didn't keep my distance I," the boy paused and took in a deep breath. "I would end up just like you."

Sirius blinked. _That wretched house elf._ "And you believe him?" he asked in a quiet voice as his insides began to churn with fury.

Regulus nodded, and looked up at his older brother, an apologetic look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Sirius. I just don't want mother and fa-"

"-You would _listen _to that worthless house elf?" he spat out the words, his gaze one of disgust as he looked upon his brother. His brother who was afraid to end up like him. _A disgrace._ A harsh laugh escaped his lips.

The boy looked slightly startled at the noise, and his gaze shifted quickly back down at his feet. After a moment he began to speak in a resigned voice, "Sirius, I'm really-"

"-_Sorry_. Yeah, I know, _Reg_." The wizard snarled at the affectionate nickname he had come up with when they were closer. Before he had started school. Before his little brother had decided he wanted _nothing_ to do with him.

He took a step back. The emotions that had been flooding him suddenly began to drain from his conscious and was replaced with a cold, hard feeling. He didn't need Regulus. He was just a stupid little kid. He meant _nothing_ to him.

"_Fine. _I'll stay away from you so I don't _taint _you. I didn't want to hang out with a stupid, little brat like you anyway." He turned and began to make his way to the door.

"Sirius, _wait_! Please, please don't hate me!" the boy pleaded as he stood, still leaning against the wall, the expression swirling in his familiar grey eyes one of regret.

Sirius sneered at his brother. "Don't worry, I wouldn't waste my time. Have fun with Kreacher. You two _deserve_ each other." He turned and walked out of the room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Hey guys! **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 12~**

* * *

"Mind if I join you?" Sirius asked with a huge grin as he pushed open the door to the compartment where Remus sat alone.

"Oh, I suppose not." The sandy blond looked up from the book he had been reading and smiled widely at his friend. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

Sirius lifted his trunk and shoved it beside Remus's. "Yeah, it was brilliant. My younger brother disowned me. I was forced to attend a boring party almost every night, and when I wasn't doing that I was being chastised or locked up in the dungeons," he said with a jovial laugh as he dropped down beside his friend.

"Sirius, is everything all right?" Remus asked as he studied the wizard beside him with a look of concern.

Sirius let out a barking laugh and nudged Remus's leg with his own playfully. "I was just joking about the last bit, Remus. Really, I'm fine. I'm just eager to get back to school," he said lightly as he rested his leg against the other boy's.

"If you say so," he said hesitantly, looking suddenly uncomfortable. He stood up abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Sirius asked, when the boy reached for the door.

"Oh, uh. I'm just going to go see if James needs my help. He was right behind me when we were boarding and then gone the next time I turned around," he said, opening the door and leaving.

Sirius frowned when Remus glanced in at him and then walked off rather quickly.

"What was that about?" He looked around the empty compartment, drumming his fingers on the windowsill as he waited for the boy to return.

James slammed into the door suddenly, his hands floundering for the handle and then jerking it open. "Sirius! I've been in here with you for the past fifteen minutes!" he shouted and then jumped into the seat beside his friend.

Just then the door jerked open again, and a furious Lily Evans stood in the doorway. "You! I _know_ it was you!" She pointed straight at James.

James looked behind himself as if he was searching for whoever the red-head had been shouting at and then over to Sirius. "What is she on about?"

The witch growled and stepped into the room. "You know _exactly_ what I'm 'on about', Potter. Now, fix it." She turned around to display a long ginger-colored cat tail sticking through her robes.

Sirius snorted. James let out a muffled cry of laughter as he held his hands firmly over his mouth.

"Wow, Evans. I have to say, you've got quite a nice tail," Sirius quipped.

Lily spun around, her wand wielded and pointing at Sirius's chest. "You think this is funny, Black?" she hissed angrily.

"Now, now Evans," James said in a sweet voice. "There's no need to yell at poor Sirius. He and I have just been sitting here for the past ten-"

"-fifteen."

"Ah yes, thank you, Sirius, fifteen minutes. And I'm sure he feels just _terrible_ about your, your," James paused as he visibly struggled not to laugh.

"_Tail_. Your big - fluffy - tail." Sirius broke into a grin.

The two wizards exploded into peals of laughter.

"Why you two are the-"

"-There you are, James." Remus had pulled the door open, interrupting the witch's tirade. He had James's trunk with him. "Oh, hello, Lily," he said politely before the witch's angrily twitching tail caught his gaze and his eyes widened. "Uh, you do know that you, uh, have a, a-"

"-A tail. Yes, I'm well aware, Remus," she said, her voice not quite as harsh as she spoke to the sandy blond. "Are you _really_ friends with these two?"

James and Sirius looked over to Remus with matching looks of innocent curiosity.

Remus held back a grin. "Would you like me to get rid of it for you?"

"You know how to?" the witch asked, looking incredibly relieved.

"Yes, I, uh," he paused when James began to making cutting motions with his hand across his throat behind the girl's back. "I read it in a book over Christmas break." He flashed the witch a smile.

"All right. Thank you, Remus," she said, turning so that the wizard would have a clear view.

Remus lifted his wand and murmured the incantation to reverse the spell that he and James had found over break, and the tail disappeared.

"Oh." the witch looked over her shoulder. "Thank goodness. It's gone."

"Too bad. I think you looked better with it, Evans," James piped up, earning him a dark glare from Lily.

"I hate you, Potter," she spat before turning to Remus. "Thanks again, Remus," she said sweetly and placed a kiss on the boy's cheek before walking out.

"_Oh_, looks like Remus has a girlfriend." James began to laugh as the wizard shifted around uncomfortably. "What do you think, Sirius?"

"Sirius?" James looked over to the suddenly quiet wizard.

"Hm?" the dark-haired wizard asked as if he hadn't heard the question, his gaze flitting over to Remus, who had sat down across from him.

"I said, Remus and Evans? A perfect match, don't you think?"

"No."

Remus looked up at the boy in surprise. James laughed.

"What do you mean, no? They're so much alike." James leaned back against the seat.

Sirius held back a frown. "Yeah, well that's why. You don't want to date someone who is exactly like you. That'd be boring," he said, glancing up at Remus and then looking away when he noticed the wizard looking back at him. He felt suddenly uncomfortable for some reason.

"Ah, well then maybe she should date _me_ then," James said with an impish grin.

Sirius looked over to his friend. "Sorry mate, that will _never_ happen. Evans can't stand you."

"Hey, Peter's here," Remus said, pulling all attention to the door.

The three wizards watched on as the boy stood outside the compartment, pulling on the door but not opening it.

"What's wrong with him?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know." James stood up and walked over to help their friend. He pulled on the handle. It didn't budge. He pulled harder, but still nothing happened. "It's locked! How did - _Evans_," he stopped suddenly and dropped down in the seat beside Sirius, leaving a confused Peter standing outside the room.

"That feisty witch locked us in," James said, a goofy smile crossing his face. "Maybe she's not quite as bad as I thought."

Sirius and Remus exchanged knowing grins.

* * *

"Remus, you're back," Sirius greeted his friend from where he sat on top of his bed as the sandy haired wizard walked into the dorm. It was the first Saturday in February, and Remus had been gone for two days.

"Hey, Sirius. Why aren't you downstairs with James and Peter?" Remus asked in a tired voice.

"Just thought I'd read a bit." Sirius tapped the open book laying in front of him that he hadn't looked at since the first day of second year on the train ride. He had forgotten about it until it began howling from inside his trunk the night before. It had been a full moon.

The book was opened to the chapter labelled, _The inherent risks of hunting the volatile maturing werewolf._

"How was your mum?" he asked as he skimmed the section describing the precautions necessary when dealing with the 'hormonally charged' age group. When the wizard received no response he glanced up.

Remus was standing in the middle of the dorm, staring at him, his skin a sickly hue. He looked even worse than he had the last few times. _And_, Sirius thought curiously, _taller_. The wizard looked like he had somehow grown a couple inches the two days he was gone. Sirius dismissed the ridiculous thought from his mind. That was impossible.

"Are you feeling all right, Remus?" he asked.

"I, yeah. I'm fine." The wizard took a step back.

Sirius frowned, and then a thought pushed its way to the forefront of his mind. "Hey Remus, come here. I want your opinion on something."

Remus shook his head ever so slightly. "I can't, I'm-I'm busy."

"Busy?" he said in an irritated fashion, rolling his eyes at the boy. "You _just_ got here. Come on." He patted the spot beside him, his pats only growing more insistent, and his eyebrows rising as Remus continued to refuse him.

Remus's shoulders dropped finally, and he walked over slowly to Sirius's bedside. "What is it?"

Sirius let out a laugh at the boy's oddly disgruntled tone. "Well, _climb on_."

Remus sighed and climbed dutifully onto the bed beside his friend, eyeing the book in front of them with an unreadable expression.

"All right," Sirius started in a satisfied tone. "So, this book here says that you can recognize a werewolf in its human _form_ because of their animalistic mannerisms and overtly aggressive nature. But - you see - I have this memory from when I was little. I remember seeing a picture of one, that had been sentenced to death, in the paper on my father's desk in his study, and it - well," Sirius paused as he recalled feeling oddly bad for the beast in the picture. "It didn't look wild or mean really - just, I don't know, sad maybe, and like a normal wizard to me. What do you think?" he asked his studious friend.

Remus sat frozen beside him. He spoke up after a few beats, his voice sounding strained, "Well, I think it really depends on the - _werewolf_." He cleared his throat again as he looked out the window near Sirius's bed and added, "I'm sure there are some very terrible ones out there."

Sirius tilted his head as he looked down at the moving picture in the book. It was of an untransformed werewolf that appeared to be around their age. It was covered in scars and was snarling, its eyes glowing yellow as it held its hands out, fingers bent in a claw-like position.

"So, you think that they aren't all the same? Like, they have personalities or something?"

Remus nodded slightly. "I do. They're _people_, Sirius."

The wizard looked up from his book, his dark eyebrows pushing together as he thought of the creatures that weren't allowed to attend school, work and that his family, his father included, had hunted for sport. "How's that?"

Remus looked down at his clasped hands. "They're - werewolves are just wizards who have been infected with a curse. It _does_ affect them, but it doesn't mean they're not people anymore," he said, the words coming out in a unusual manner like he was reciting something he had been told many times before.

Sirius nodded slowly as he considered his friend's drastically different view, something clicking in the wizard's mind. "Have you met one before?"

"_No_." Remus moved to stand up.

"No, _wait_," he said, grabbing the wizard's arm and stopping him. "Please, I didn't mean to upset you. Stay. I want to show you something first."

Remus relaxed back onto the bed. "What is it?" he asked in a weary voice.

Sirius closed the book to reveal the cover and the embossed teeth. He moved it between them to give Remus a better view.

"Watch this." He reached his hand out and as soon as he touched near the teeth, the werewolf head appeared, raging against the cover. It snapped at the boy's finger as usual but then seemed to calm somewhat before it pulled back, disappearing.

"That's odd." Sirius leaned forward to see where it had gone when the cover suddenly took on the appearance of a wizarding picture. In it was a field, lit by a waning full moon in the corner, with thin clouds slowly crawling across the night sky, causing stars to twinkle as they passed. The sound of a slight breeze filled the space between the two silent boys. Suddenly, a stocky-looking wolf appeared in the field. It was grey with oversized paws, like it hadn't grown into them quite yet.

"What the." Sirius watched in awe as the large animal began to circle slowly in the grass, looking at the two boys with suspicious yellow eyes. It tilted its head as if it were studying them and then stopped, dropped to the ground and rolled over, rubbing its back on the grass in an almost playful manner before jumping back up and letting loose a familiar mournful howl.

"He sounds lonely," Sirius said quietly. He reached his hand towards the cover slowly as if in a trance. His fingers neared the cover, almost touching it when Remus grabbed his hand and pulled it back.

"Sirius, _stop it_!"

Sirius looked up at the wizard in surprise. Remus was pale, and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed heavily, his eyes swimming in darkness as he held Sirius's chilled hand in his warm one.

Sirius found himself slowly leaning towards him as if he was being pulled by some unseen force.

"Sirius, are, are you all right?" Remus asked worriedly, his voice just above a whisper as he watched the wizard move towards him with an odd gleam in his eyes.

Sirius nodded slowly, the question stopping him when he was only a few inches away from the other boy. The air between them seemed to crackle with tension, heating up the space as neither moved away. Grey eyes darted down to parted, red lips._  
_

Another howl from the book startled the two boys and they pulled back, their gazes shifting down. They watched as the wolf walked carefully towards Sirius's fingers that were resting on the edge of the book.

A laugh escaped Sirius's lips, his hand pulling back in surprise. "It _licked_ me." He reached back down and slowly ran a finger along the wolf's head and back as if he were petting it. He smiled when the animal pushed its nose against his finger in an affectionate gesture. "I think it likes me."

"_No_." The sharp words drew Sirius's hand away and his gaze up. Remus's expression was dark. "No, it doesn't like you. It's just an enchantment, Sirius," he snapped.

Sirius's eyebrows drew together in confusion. He reached out a hand to place on the upset wizard's shoulder.

"_Don't_." Remus jerked away from the touch, shoving himself off the bed abruptly.

Sirius's outstretched hand slowly dropped as he stared in bemusement at his friend, who was standing in the middle of the room like he didn't know what to do with himself. "Did I do something wrong, Remus?" he asked as he tried to hide the rejection he felt from his friend pulling away from his touch.

Remus shook his head. "No, you didn't. It's just-You don't... Sirius, I-I - I mean — _Sirius_, I'm, I'm a." He stopped and clenched his eyes shut as he pushed his lips firmly between his teeth, holding his breath for a long moment before slowly letting it out.

"You're _what_, Remus?" he asked in a concerned voice, standing up but not approaching his friend as a seed of a thought began to take root in his mind.

The wizard shook his head. "I'm just _really tired_, and I need some rest," he said, gazing dejectedly at the floor.

Sirius nodded in an unconvinced manner. "All right." He watched Remus climb into his bed and pull the curtains shut, before turning and sitting down on his own. He looked back down at the book.

The wolf and the scene were gone and in its place were the usual snarling teeth.

Sirius stared at the cover as he chewed on the inside of his cheek, replaying the conversation between he and Remus over and over in his head. He reached out an unsure hand and turned to chapter twenty once more. His eyes ran apprehensively over the title.

_Recognizing a Werewolf in its Human Disguise._

* * *

**0.0**


	13. Chapter 13

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Another chapter! Yay! Seeing as how so many of you have said that you appreciate the quick updates, I felt no qualms with posting again. Hehe. Thanks for all the reviews guys, I'm going to make some hot cocoa and respond this evening. :-) **

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 13~**

* * *

"Looks like Snivelly might not make it for breakfast this morning," Peter said, the glee barely suppressed in his voice as he glanced over his shoulder at the green and silver table. The aforementioned Slytherin was notably absent.

James grinned widely. "Yeah, maybe he got _caught up_ in something and couldn't make it."

Three sets of sniggering followed the statement.

Sirius glanced over at a silent Remus. He was pushing a strawberry around on his plate, his eyes following the watery, reddish trail it left in its wake.

"Feeling okay there, Remus?" Sirius asked as he sat across from the sandy blond. He tried not to focus on the red smears spreading across the boy's plate.

Remus nodded, not looking up as his hand stilled. "Yeah, just tired."

"Oh?" Sirius asked lightly as he took a bite of quiche, his eyes remaining trained on the wizard. _It would explain so much. It fits too._

Remus looked up, his tired hazel eyes adding stock to his previous statement. "Yeah. Rough visit."

Sirius's eyes widened, the often heard phrase taking on a whole new meaning after the night before. _Does that mean he killed someone_? He couldn't believe that Dumbledore would let a murderer attend the school, but it wasn't Remus on the full moon. Not really.

"Oh, yeah?" he responded lamely, trying to keep his voice even.

Remus's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Yeah."

"Sorry," Sirius mumbled before looking down at his own plate. He was giving himself away. Remus was too aware for his own good. _Probably helpful if you're a murderous, blood thirsty creature. _Sirius mentally shook the harsh words loose from his mind. No, Remus was not that, even if he was cursed.

"What do you guys want to do today?" James asked cheerfully, snatching the last scone from Sirius's plate.

"We could go down to the lake," Peter suggested.

"It's a bit cold for that," James said before turning to Sirius. "What do you think, Sirius?"

The dark haired wizard shrugged. He wondered what non-transformed werewolves liked to do in their free time. _Feast on human flesh, according to my book_, Sirius snorted at the ridiculous thought. He needed a new book, preferably not one condoning the hunting of them. He gathered very quickly after re-reading the chapter on recognizing one that it was rather biased. The mental picture of Remus walking around trying to claw and bite people was absolute madness. He took in a deep breath when his mind began to waver somewhat. _Complete rubbish,_ he insisted firmly to himself.

"Sirius?" Remus's hand reached out and rested on Sirius's arm.

"Ahhh!" Sirius startled, falling back off the stool and onto the floor. He looked up at James and a leaning over Remus, his breathing ragged and eyes wide as he tried to convince his startled mind that his friend was not the monster he had read about.

"Sirius, you're lying on the floor," James said helpfully.

Sirius nodded and closed his eyes for a moment, remaining on the soothing cold stones as his heart refused to slow. _He's not a monster. He's not a monster. He's just Remus. Just good old-_

"-Sirius?"

Sirius's eyes jerked open, and he found himself crawling backwards and away from Remus, who had walked over to check on him.

He pushed himself upright once he had put a few feet safely between them, smoothing his slacks and shirt down as he collected his voice to keep from raising suspicion. _Not that it will help, he can probably smell the fear on me_. An alarming passage about werewolves preferring the taste of pureblooded wizards ran through his mind unbidden. _I bet he'd think I was delicious._ He let out a loud, misplaced laugh at the thought, earning him odd glances from his classmates and friends.

"Sorry, just going a bit mad, but you'd understand that, right Remus?" he blurted. _Oh no._

"_What_?" Remus's eyes widened as he stood frozen in place.

_Oh shit_. "Ah, I just mean - because you've been around _me_ too much." He forced an impish smile at his friend. His friend, the _werewolf_. _Holy hell._ The thought crashed into and shattered his facade as he stared wide-eyed into guarded hazel orbs. _He's a werewolf! Remus is a flipping werewolf!_ A strangled noise escaped his lips.

"-I don't know. Maybe we should take him to Madam Pomfrey."

Sirius jerked his gaze from Remus to see James moving to stand up.

"Uh, no. No, I'm fine guys," he said quickly. "Really. I'm just going to go back to the dorm. I'll see you there." Sirius nodded emphatically as he continued to smooth his shirt neurotically. He growled and clenched his hands. _Stop that,_ he chastised his anxious body.

James sat back down. "All right. If you say so. Do you want me to go with you? Or Remus could, he's-"

"_No_! Uh, I mean... No, thanks. I'm good. Really. See you guys soon," he said and then turned and began to walk away from his friends and Remus. _No! Remus is my friend. He is. He is._ He walked away more quickly. He needed to get more information and fast before he labelled Remus as-well, he just needed more information.

He shot a glance over his shoulder. Remus had sat back down and was watching him leave. Peter was wadding up bits of paper and handing them to James, who was in turn throwing them at an unaware Lily Evans as they landed one after the other in her long, curly hair.

He pushed open the door to the Great Hall. _I just need a different point of view is all. Werewolves can't be that bad._

* * *

_Werewolves even in their human form are highly wizard-aggressive, so it is always encouraged for possible werewolves to be reported to the Ministry straight away. An untransformed werewolf may try to appear 'normal' and even 'kind' but be forewarned. It is a ruse, and the werewolf in question is merely waiting for a moment when you are most vulnerable or unaware to attack._

Sirius slammed the book shut, pushing it aside and into the quickly growing pile of useless texts. He leaned his elbows on the table, placing his head into his hands and let out a tired groan. It was approaching dinner time, the wizard having skipped lunch in order to find something, anything, to soothe his growing worries. However, he was yet to find even a single passage in all the books he had checked that didn't paint werewolves as completely and purely evil. Sadistic killing machines. He shook his head, sitting up and pulling the next book towards him, his tired eyes scanning the title.

_Werewolves, Blood-Thirsty Creatures or Flesh-Hungry Beasts?_

He pushed the book aside without opening it.

* * *

"Sirius, there you are!"

Sirius jerked up from the open book he had fallen asleep on. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the sleep from his eyes. "James?"

"What are you reading about?" his friend asked casually, pulling out the seat across from him and sitting down.

Sirius shut the book and pushed it aside, title side facing down. "Nothing. Just some light reading." He dead-panned.

James glanced over at the large pile of books and then back to Sirius. "_Right_. So, do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"No. There's nothing to talk about."

James nodded slowly. "All right. Well, do you want to get dinner with me?"

Sirius leaned back in his chair and ran an agitated hand through his sleep-mussed locks. "Where are Peter and Remus?" he asked, using all his self-control to not stutter over the latter boy's name.

"Already eating. I sent them ahead so I could look for you. They'll probably be finished and gone before we get down there." James picked up a book near him. "Dark Creatures and You." He looked up at Sirius questioningly.

Sirius grabbed the book from him. "I'm a bit fascinated with magical beasts," he said quickly. _Maybe I could tell James... No, I shouldn't. It's not my place._ He flashed a smile at his friend.

James pushed himself up slowly. "You're an odd one, Sirius Black."

"Flocks of a feather," he retorted glibly, standing up too.

"Yeah, maybe." James grinned at him.

Sirius walked with James out of the library. He would look more later. He was sure he could find a book to waylay his concerns.

He had to.

* * *

Sirius elbowed a napping James as they sat in Transfiguration class Monday morning.

"Wha?" James sat upright and looked around in confusion.

"Shh," Sirius hissed in his ear and then slid a piece of parchment in front of the boy, who was wiping drool off his face with his sleeve.

James adjusted his crooked glasses and then peered down at the paper, reading the elegant script.

_We need to take care of the Snivelly problem today._

The word 'today' was underlined with heavy ink several times.

James looked slightly surprised before picking up his quill, dipping it as he smiled angelically at a suspicious Professor McGonagall, and then scribbled his response in his messy handwriting when she turned away.

He pushed the paper over when the older witch leaned down to pick something off of her desk.

Sirius frowned at the response.

_You still want to do that?_

He picked up his own quill and wrote a hasty response, pushing it back over quickly for his friend to read.

_Of course I do. Let's do it before dinner. He'll be in the library._

James lifted his quill to respond when a shadow fell over the paper.

"Mr. Potter."

* * *

"Come on, James! He's going to leave if we don't hurry!" Sirius shouted impatiently as he ran down the hallway that lead to the library.

"I'm trying!" James shouted as he limped along behind his friend. "My knee hurts!"

Professor McGonagall had assigned the two wizards detention after classes for passing notes during class.

"How do those toilets get so disgusting?" James muttered as he approached his friend.

"Oh, stop your moaning," Sirius said in a quiet voice as he peered inside the door to the library. "Good. I don't see him. He must be in the back." He motioned his friend to follow him and walked in.

James rolled his eyes but followed his friend.

The two wizards waved silently, huge smiles gracing their innocent faces as they passed Madam Pince, the librarian. She glared at them suspiciously as they tip-toed away.

Sirius and James walked quietly along the bookshelves.

"All right, I'm going to go get ready for dinner, Sev." The nearby words stilled the two wizards.

James pulled out a thin book and peered between the space. He motioned Sirius over, stepping back to allow him a look.

Sirius grinned as his gaze settled on the Slytherin sitting alone at the table in the farthest corner of the mostly deserted library. He stood upright and shot James a questioning look.

James nodded slowly and began to creep along the bookshelf as Sirius went the opposite way. Sirius stopped at the corner and glanced again to James, who was standing at the other end, mirroring his position. Sirius took in a calming breath, forcing down the anger clawing excitedly at his chest and putting violent but unfortunately unproductive ideas in his head. _Stick to the plan._

He glanced once more at James and then stepped around the corner, his wand out and pointing at Snape immediately.

"Snivelly." The wizard's head jerked up. "What a _surprise_ to find you here." A cheshire grin played at the Gryffindor's lips as he stalked slowly towards the wizard, enjoying the look of shock plastered on the boy's usually smug face.

"Black," Snape drawled slowly, his expression having quickly closed off. "What are _you_ doing here? Did you get lost on the way to the Quidditch pitch?" His eyes darted in a calculating manner to his wand, which was laying uselessly on the table a foot away from his right hand.

"I came to see you." Sirius's eyes narrowed, and his voice grew colder as he continued, "You see, I fear we had a slight misunderstanding, seeing as how you've been sending letters to my parents." He stopped in front of the wizard, his wand pointing at the green-robed chest.

Snape sneered at him and shot out his hand to grab his wand, but stopped halfway there when a wand pressed into his back just below his neck.

James tsked from behind the wizard. "So jumpy. But you won't be needing your wand, Snivelly. We only want to talk with you," he said and then pushed the tip of his wand harder into his back. "Stand up."

The Slytherin stood up slowly.

"Well, a form of talking anyway." Sirius walked around the table to the wizard. "You see, I can't have you watching me all the time and then reporting back to my parents. It really makes it hard for me to enjoy myself properly."

Snape scoffed, "You mean you can't talk to your filthy-"

"-_Don't_." Sirius clenched his jaw tightly. "Don't you _dare_ say it," he growled out. "Or I _will_ do something." He took a step closer in a threatening manner. "And I'll enjoy it, too." He smiled eerily at the Slytherin as violent thoughts began to run temptingly through his raging mind once more.

Snape's eyes widened slightly but then narrowed again. "Tell me what you want."

Sirius's smile grew. He had him. "Only a promise that you won't tattle on me anymore. No - not a _promise_." He paused. "What word am I looking for here, James?" he asked, his voice one of feigned confusion.

"A _vow_, maybe?" James offered, the grin in his voice clear.

Sirius's eyes lit up. "_Yes_." He met Snape's hard gaze. "An _unbreakable_ vow," he said quietly.

The wizard's mouth pressed in a firm line before he began to speak in a heated voice, "You two are as ignorant as you look. An unbreakable vow if broken is punishable by-"

"-Death," Sirius finished simply for the Slytherin. His gaze hardened. "I'm _very_ aware. But that shouldn't worry you. All you have to do is keep your word and _nothing_ bad will ever come of it. _It's simple_." Sirius held out his hand.

Snape eyed it but did not reach out his own. "And what if I don't?"

The wand at Snape's back pressed more sharply into his back. "I wouldn't suggest that," James said. "Sirius can get pretty nasty when he doesn't get what he wants."

Sirius watched as Snape's hand slowly raised. He grasped the wizard's forearm as fingers wrapped around his in turn.

"I knew you'd see reason, Snivels," Sirius said as James moved around with his wand to aid in the spell work.

* * *

"That practice was absolutely brutal," James groaned as he and Sirius sat under a tree near the lake with their brooms and Sirius's bat lying on the ground.

"Yeah, I think they're trying to kill us," Sirius said as he dropped back and laid in the grass. He took in a deep breath, the cool February air stinging his tired lungs.

"So, my parents said you could stay with us for a few weeks this summer if you're allowed," James said as he ripped blades of grass from the ground.

"Maybe," Sirius said cautiously. He still hadn't told his friends about his very possible House transfer. He had actually been enjoying pretending the unpleasant situation didn't even exist as the days ticked by, bringing him closer and closer to his meeting with Dumbledore.

"You don't think you can get permission?" James asked.

Sirius shrugged. He didn't know what to say. His parents would probably not be too eager for him to spend time at the Gryffindor's house once he was in Slytherin. He got the impression that they merely tolerated his friendship with James because of his situation.

"So what's up with you and Remus lately?" James asked suddenly.

Sirius sat up. He looked over to his friend, concealing the wariness he felt at the seemingly benign question. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know. You've just been acting _odd_ around him. Did something happen?" James continued to pull up grass, one-by-one.

"No. Nothing happened."

James dropped the grass he had gathered and wiped his hands together, cleaning them. "Are you sure? Maybe something to do with him leaving every month perhaps?" he persisted in an overly conversational tone as he looked down at his hands, seemingly studying them for grass stains.

Sirius let out a laugh. "What would Remus's sick mum have to do with anything?"

James looked up slowly. "Because he hasn't been going home to visit his mum - and I think you know that as well as I do."

"James," Sirius said in a cool voice. "If you have something you want to say, then you should just get on with it."

James eyed his friend carefully. "All right... I was walking back from detention last Thursday night, and I saw Remus walking with Madam Pomfrey out towards the Whomping Willow. I saw him crawl into the space under the tree."

Sirius sat quietly for a moment. "And why do you think I know anything about that? That's news to me," he said, which was the truth. He didn't know where Remus _transformed_. He had just assumed it was in the woods near his home, and not anywhere near Hogwarts. Sirius shivered involuntarily at the thought. _I wonder where it leads? The Forbidden Forest maybe?_

"Sirius, listen," James said, drawing the wizard's attention. "I've had my suspicions about Remus for a couple months now, and I know you've figured it out too. I see how you've been acting since his return. All jumpy and like you're... _unsure_ around him. And then you've been reading all those books obsessively. I probably wouldn't have thought anything had I not been thinking the same thing ever since I saw him without his shirt on." He paused, his gaze shifting to his hands. "He has so many scars," he said quietly. He sat for a few beats and then looked up to Sirius, a searching look in his gaze.

James's statement echoed through Sirius's head. _So many scars_. He swallowed hard, his mind struggling but failing to form a possible mental picture. He pushed away the thought and focused on the issue at hand. Maybe James was bluffing. Just because he had noticed some _things_ didn't mean he had come to the right conclusion.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're getting at, James," he lied smoothly.

James looked around them, making sure there was no one within hearing distance, and then leaned forward and whispered, "Remus is a werewolf, isn't he?"

Sirius stared at his friend. James stared back at him as he waited for his response. He considered laughing at him, ridiculing him for suggesting such an idea. He found himself nodding slowly instead.

"Holy shit!" James exclaimed. "I knew it! I just _knew it!_" He started laughing wildly, clearly ecstatic with the confirmation.

"I think you've lost it," Sirius said, but relief poured over him at his friend's obvious acceptance of Remus's condition. He didn't want James to feel negatively towards Remus. Even if he did. _No, I don't. Not one bit_, he lied to himself.

"No, don't you see, Sirius?" James waved his hands excitedly as he spoke. "This is _really_ cool. How many wizards do you know who have a werewolf as a best friend?" He smiled widely at him.

Sirius shook his head in disbelief. The wizard's open-mindedness never ceased to amaze him.

"Yeah, it's.. pretty cool," he said, forcing a convincing smile even as he felt his insides rebel at the feigned sentiment. He laid back down and closed his eyes, tuning out James's excited ramblings. It was official. Sirius Black was an awful friend.


	14. Chapter 14

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: Hello peoples. I am posting again. *Sighs* I know that you're all like, 'Why is she updating so soon? Gah.' And to that I say, 'You guys are the bestest readers ever. Ever.' Ahahahaha! I'm losing it just a bit. Just a bit. Tehe. I hope that you all chose to skip this note. :-P**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 14~**

* * *

"Hey, Greg."

"Sirius, good to see you." The Slytherin stopped. He had his schoolbag slung over one shoulder and his tie slightly loosened.

"Yeah, where are Crabbe and Goyle?" Sirius asked with a grin. The dark-haired wizard was sitting outside alone with an advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts book he had gotten from the library. He had been finding it increasingly difficult the past few days to be around Remus without arising suspicion.

"Probably somewhere discussing your demise," he said, returning the grin. He looked around. "Where are your friends?"

"In the Gryffindor common room," he responded before motioning to the spot beside him. "Want to join me?"

"Sure." The dark-skinned wizard sat down. "So, I hear you've caught Evie Greengrass's attention. She's quite the catch," he said smoothly.

Sirius grinned half-heartedly. "Yeah, I'm not so sure if I can take the credit for that though. I'm assuming my family had quite a bit to do with it."

"Yeah? Isn't that how it works?" Zabini asked as he pulled out his Potions book from his bag.

"I suppose it is," Sirius said begrudgingly, finding that it bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

"You don't have to sound so depressed about it, Black. You can always hold out for someone you fancy. Maybe someone from Gryffindor?" Greg looked at him curiously.

Sirius felt a fluttering in his chest. "No, I think my parents can only take so much disappointment. Maybe Evie will grow on me."

"You could do _much_ worse. Honestly, I'm a bit worried for you if she doesn't do anything for you." The wizard shot him an impish look.

"You're a tosser, Zabini," Sirius said in an amused voice, earning him a laugh in response. He picked up his book and began searching the index for werewolves. The school's curriculum surely had to have more balanced information than the book he had brought from home.

* * *

"Hey, Sirius."

Sirius closed the book he was reading and quickly pushed it behind his back. "Oh. Hey, Remus. What are you doing here?"

Remus blinked.

Sirius lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

Remus blinked again.

Silence ensued.

"We share this dorm. Remember?"

Sirius looked around the room curiously. "Oh, yes. The dorm. Silly me." He forced out a laugh, his gaze darting around the room as if his mind couldn't decide on what to focus.

Remus nodded slowly and started to turn around but then stopped and swung back towards Sirius. "Is something _wrong_?" he asked, his voice hesitant but rushed at the same time.

Sirius shook his head.

Remus took a step closer but then stopped when Sirius scooted back on his bed at the movement. "Are you sure?" he asked, his eyebrows pushed together in an unconvinced fashion.

"What could possibly be wrong?" Sirius asked in an innocent voice as his pulse raced madly through his veins. _Does he know that I know_? He had noticed Remus growing increasingly unnerved by his behavior around him, but he had hoped his friend would merely chalk it up to him just being odd and of no consequence.

"It just seems like you've been acting - _off_ - around me for the past week," Remus said slowly.

"Oh. Well, I," Sirius paused. He had looked through every book imaginable, some of them twice. He had read nothing even the least bit comforting or reassuring. And yet-Sirius sighed and ran a tired hand through his hair-He hadn't thought twice about forcing Snape into silence, and he had been relieved when James admitted to knowing about Remus and said he didn't care. Because-He looked up at the wizard-Remus was his friend. _Screw it_. He stood up and took in a deep breath, gathering his courage.

"Remus, _I know_."

Remus's eyes widened and he took a step back. "Know what?"

Sirius took in another breath, forcing back the irrational fears that had been poisoning his mind like a disease for the past few days and took a step towards the wizard. "I know - _what you are_. What you were trying to tell me the other night after we looked at my _book_." He shot him a meaningful look.

Remus's gaze darted to the closed door. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Sirius."

Sirius let out a laugh. "Oh, I think you do though," he said as he began to walk towards his friend, excitement dulling his faculties.

Remus took another step back, stumbling slightly when the backs of his legs bumped against the frame of his bed. "I don't," he insisted, his tone growing more alarmed.

Sirius stopped directly in front of the wizard and looked down at him. He saw the look of fear swimming in his friend's soft hazel eyes and without warning he felt his own anxieties begin to disappear. Remus would never hurt him. He didn't need a stupid book to tell him that.

"You can tell me, Remus," he said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

Remus's eyebrows shot up, surprise written all over his features. "_What_?"

Sirius quirked a small smile. "I want you to tell me. We're friends. That's what friends do."

"I-I."

Sirius nodded in a reassuring manner. "Go on."

Remus shook his head, his gaze dropping. "I can't. I _can't_, Sirius. It's _too _terrible," he said, his voice brimming with emotion.

Sirius shook his head, resisting the urge to touch him. "No, it's _not_," he said fervently. "It doesn't matter to me, Remus."

Remus dropped down onto the edge of his bed, a bitter laugh escaping his lips as he stared at his hands. "How can you say that? _You _of _all_ people? You don't even want to talk to me in public, because I'm not a pureblood."

Sirius flinched. He had noticed. Of course, he had noticed. It probably hadn't helped he had begun avoiding the wizard even more after discovering his secret either.

"Remus, no, that's _not_ true."

Remus looked up slowly, his eyes glittering darkly. "Isn't it, Sirius? I see how you glance around _every_ time you want to say something to me. And, I'd have to be a complete fool not to notice how you talk at meals, staring at your plate, but _only_ when it's to me! Not James! Not Peter! _Just me!_ How do you explain that!" A feral-sounding growl rumbled threateningly in the werewolf's chest.

Sirius forced himself not to take a step back at the unsettling noise. He shook his head, swallowing hard. He couldn't tell him. "I can't. But, I'm not ashamed of you. _At __all_. Not one bit. You're my friend, and I don't have many." Anger began to grow in his chest as he thought of all the people who would want to hurt his friend because of what he was. He wouldn't let them. His tone grew harder as he continued, "So, I don't care _what_ you are. Now just _fucking_ tell me already, Remus."

Remus stood back up suddenly. He glared at the wizard, his hazel eyes dangerously dark. He took a step closer.

Sirius's breathing picked up, his gaze seemingly trapped in the swirling darkness. He nodded encouragingly, not capable of forming words.

"I'm a _werewolf_, Sirius," he snarled, the words sounding bitter on his tongue.

The angry confession floated like a ghost between the two wizards, intangible but ominous nonetheless.

Sirius nodded ever so slightly. "I know," he whispered.

Remus's eyes widened and then softened hesitantly. "You - you really don't _care_?" he asked quietly, hope pulsing painfully in his every word as disbelief slowed their delivery.

Sirius shook his head as he looked straight into Remus's eyes, and his heart stuttered ever so slightly in his chest.

"Not one bit," he said honestly. The whisper of a laugh followed from his lips, and a genuine smile graced his features when he realized the words were completely true.

Remus sat back down, his gaze shifting to his hands. "That-that means a _lot_ to me. Thank you, Sirius," he said in an unsteady voice.

Sirius laughed again as relief poured over him. "James knows, too," he blurted.

Remus's gaze snapped up. He stared at his friend with a look of horror on his face.

"No. No, he doesn't care either, Remus," he reassured him quickly. "In fact, he's embraced it quite thoroughly."

"What - do you mean?" Remus asked slowly, a confused look pushing his sandy eyebrows together.

Sirius let out an incredulous laugh as he remembered the conversation from the other day. "I believe his exact words were, 'This is _really_ cool'."

Remus shook his head in wonder, a small smile pushing up his lips. "I really worry about him sometimes, you know."

Sirius returned the boy's smile and sat down beside him. "Yeah, I think he lacks basic survival instincts. Unlike Peter, who has enough for all of us."

Remus let out a groan. "_Oh no._ What am I going to do about Peter? If you two know, there's no way he won't figure it out eventually."

"Actually," Sirius hedged, "James said he'd handle that."

The two boys exchanged grimaces at the thought.

"I bet he pisses himself."

"_Sirius_."

* * *

"Is this _really_ necessary?" Remus asked his friends nervously as he sat with them on the floor in the dorm late Friday night.

Sirius and James nodded adamantly. Peter sat quietly, looking between the three boys in an unsure manner. It had been almost a week since Remus's secret had become basic dorm knowledge.

Peter had taken the news mostly as expected. James would not openly admit to the boy wetting himself, only grinning mysteriously every time Sirius asked him. Sirius had finally decided to take it as affirmation much to Peter's chagrin, Remus's disapproval and James's amusement.

"Yes, because we have a lot of questions, and so it's best if we get them all out now," James said as he shifted around on the rug like he might explode from anticipation.

"Yes, and you don't want us to accidentally blurt them out in class or at mealtime. It's really for the best," Sirius added matter-of-factly.

Remus nodded begrudgingly as he ran an anxious hand through his sandy locks. "All right. If you're sure you want to know."

"We do," Sirius and James blurted out almost simultaneously.

They all looked to Peter.

"I do, too," he said shyly.

"Good," James said excitedly, rubbing his hands together. "First question. How big are your claws?"

Remus shot his friend a look of reproof. "You do know that werewolves are _very dangerous_, James. Right?"

"Of course." James nodded quickly. "So, would you say they're like this big?" he asked, holding up his hand with his forefinger and thumb spread apart a few inches.

Remus sighed. "Maybe a little bigger."

Sirius's eyes widened. "Okay, my turn. Where do you - transform?" he asked seriously.

Remus sighed. "It's supposed to be a secret, but I suppose you guys already know too much." He took in a deep breath. "The tunnel under the Whomping Willow. It leads to the Shrieking Shack near Hogsmeade. I transform inside there," he said in a hushed tone.

"You're _locked_ up for it?" Sirius asked, his voice taking on an edge.

Remus nodded slowly. "Yeah, so I don't _hurt_ anyone."

Sirius sat in silence. Of course. Why had he not thought about that? It made so much sense. That way he wouldn't be a danger to people. "Wait," he said suddenly. "Isn't that - rather unpleasant for you?"

Remus shrugged his shoulders, his gaze shifting to the floor. "It doesn't really matter. It's to keep people safe. From me."

Sirius and James exchanged glances.

"What do you look like?" Peter asked, surprising everyone with the question.

"Uh," Remus paused. "Like a wolf basically, but bigger, stockier, and with a shorter - muzzle. I'm not fully grown yet though," the sandy blond said apprehensively.

Sirius's mouth dropped open, as realization hit him. The mental picture of oversized paws ran through his mind. It couldn't be.

"What color is your fur?" Sirius asked abruptly, his mind pulling up the memory of the book and the wolf that had appeared when Remus had been sitting near it. _Is that why he got so worked up?_

Remus looked up, his unsure gaze meeting Sirius's excited one.

"Grey."

Sirius felt a smile tug at his lips and a rush of some emotion began to well up in his chest as he remembered interacting with the wolf. _It was him_.

* * *

"Feeling okay, Remus?" James asked quietly as the four boys sat on a couch in the Gryffindor common room.

It was the first Friday in March after classes, and the boys were relaxing in front of the fireplace.

"Yeah, just a little tired," Remus mumbled from beside his friend as he laid with his eyes closed and his head tilted back against the couch. The full moon was in a few days time.

"So am I. I think your cycles are affecting me too," Sirius said around a long yawn on the other side of the werewolf, his position much like Remus's.

"Is that possible?" Peter asked nervously, from James's other side, sitting on the end as he eyed Remus somewhat apprehensively.

"No, of course it's _not_. Sirius is just acting like a bird," James muttered as he too gave in and laid his head against the cushioned back.

"We should do something tonight," Sirius said lazily, ignoring his friend's snide comment as he inched closer to Remus until his side was pressed against the werewolf's. He smiled when the boy leaned into the touch slightly.

"We could study for the Potions exam we have next week," Remus said quietly.

Snorts, turning into tired snickers, erupted from either side of the werewolf.

"That was a good one, Remus," Sirius said as sleep made his body sink further into the couch, the glowing heat from the fire loosening his muscles and making them feel like jello.

"Yeah, Remus - is - hilarious," James added, his voice drifting off as he spoke.

A few minutes later the four boys were fast asleep as the fire crackled softly.

* * *

Sirius stared up at the blank ceiling as he laid in his bed on the fourth Saturday in May. It was well past midnight, but he couldn't settle for some reason. He closed his eyes. _Probably because my meeting with Dumbledore is tomorrow_, the thought popped into his head. "Shit." He opened his eyes again. He pushed down his blankets and flopped onto his stomach. He lifted his head and flipped over his pillow and dropped his face into it. "Mmph." After a few moments he pushed himself up and climbed out of his bed. He stood in the middle of the room, glancing around at the curtained beds. His gaze landed finally on the one directly across from him, and he padded across the cold floor.

"Remus?" Sirius asked quietly from just outside the boy's bed.

Curtains pulled back and the moonlight shone in on a wide awake Remus. "Couldn't sleep?" the sandy blond asked with an understanding smile.

Sirius nodded his head. "Yeah, mind if I join you for a bit?" he asked nervously. He cleared his throat. He didn't know why he felt anxious. He supposed it could be because it was the first time either one of them had visited the other since Remus's revelation a few months ago. Or maybe it was because it might be the last time.

Remus pulled back the curtains further and Sirius climbed in, moving around him and to the other side of the wizard.

The curtains shut, leaving the space almost pitch-black and oddly uncomfortable.

"What's keeping you up?" Sirius asked in almost a whisper as he pulled his knees up to his chest.

"My muscles are achy," Remus said quietly.

Sirius chewed the inside of his cheek. "Because of the full moon next week?"

"Yeah," Remus said in a rough voice. They sat quietly for a long moment.

"So, I was thinking..."

"Risky business there," Remus teased.

"Yeah, probably." Sirius laughed nervously. "But, I wanted to ask you something. It's been bothering me for a while now."

Remus sat silently for a few beats. "What is it?"

Sirius swallowed. "Can I see you without your shirt on?" he blurted.

Silence.

"Remus?"

"Why?"

"Uh," Sirius paused as he felt heat creep up the back of his neck. "James - he said you had scars - and I want to see them."

"_Why_?"

"Because, well I've tried to picture them and I can't," he explained simply.

"You've tried to _picture_ them?" Remus asked in a decidedly uncomfortable tone.

"Yeah... So, could I?" he asked. It had started to really get to the wizard that James had seen his scars but he hadn't.

"I don't know, Sirius," Remus paused. "They're really awful looking."

Sirius reached out his hand, placing it on the werewolf's knee. "I don't care. Really. I just - I _need_ to see them. It's driving me mad." He waited quietly, hoping his friend didn't get upset with him.

"They're ugly, Sirius." Remus pulled his knee away from the wizard's hand.

"I'll show you mine, if you do," he said nervously.

"I'm sorry?"

"I have-I have a few scars too. We can show each other." He began to unbutton his shirt and pulled it off quickly. "There."

"I can't see anything, you know. There's no light," Remus said in a slightly amused voice.

"_Lumos_." Sirius set down his wand as he sat nervously in only his pajama pants beside the werewolf. "Now you."

Remus shook his head but pulled his shirt over his head.

Sirius scooted down the bed, turning around so they were facing each other. He began to scan Remus's chest greedily. His breath caught in his throat.

"They're bad, I know," Remus said quietly, his hands moving to cover his chest.

Sirius grabbed his hands, stopping him. "No," he said in a strained voice. "No, they're not." He let go of Remus's hands as he gaped at the scars littering his body. He swallowed hard. "Can I touch them?" he asked, his pulse racing as he looked at the marks crisscrossing Remus's surprisingly tone body. _Must be a werewolf thing_.

"Where are yours?"

"Oh." Sirius turned around to display his back.

"How did you get them?"

Warm fingers startled the wizard as they brushed right below his shoulder blade along the topmost of six thin scars that ran parallel across his back, stopping just before reaching his sides.

"Kreacher - one of our house elves," he said in a ragged voice as the fingers sent waves of heat through his body.

Remus's hand stilled, resting on his skin. "_What_?" he asked in a sharp voice.

Sirius cleared his throat. "Yeah, he used to carry out my parents' punishments with spells that left visible marks until my dad found out. Then he switched to invisible forms."

"When did this happen?" Remus asked quietly, his voice tense with some emotion.

"Ah, I was five I think for the top three and then six for the other three."

"What did you do?" Remus asked, the intensity growing in his voice.

Sirius swallowed hard. "I was running inside the first time, it was during a dinner my parents were throwing. And the second was... was for not saying thank you for a birthday present properly."

"_Properly_?"

"Yeah." Sirius cleared his throat as the memory he was trying not to recall completely pushed heavily on his mind. A shudder shot through his body. He remembered the seemingly insignificant mistake. "I didn't address my father like I had been taught when I thanked him. I forgot in my excitement, and it was in front of company. They are very strict when it comes to appearances."

"And so they punished you _like this_?" Remus asked, his voice rising dangerously.

Sirius pulled away from the hand and turned back around. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shown you. It was a mistake."

"No. No, Sirius," he said quickly, all anger gone from his voice. "I'm sorry." Remus grabbed his hand and placed it on his own chest. "You can touch them if you really want to."

Sirius felt all thoughts melt from his mind as his hand rested on Remus's chest. He moved it over to the side slightly and was rewarded with the feel of the werewolf's pounding heart, the fast rhythm oddly comforting. He then carefully ran a finger along a scar that ran down from the right side of his chest and across to the other side, stopping right below his ribs. He found another scar that ran down beside his belly button and began to trace it. He stopped when Remus gasped. He looked up curiously at the boy.

"Sorry, that tickled," Remus said in a breathy voice.

A smile slowly curled up Sirius's lips, and he ran his finger lazily across the skin below the werewolf's belly button and was rewarded with another gasp. "Doesn't _sound_ like it tickles," he said with a grin.

Remus pushed his hand away. "Stop it, Sirius." He looked away.

Sirius licked his lips as he studied his suddenly-closed off friend. "All right." He whispered a 'nox', putting out his wand and climbed back up beside the boy and laid down on his pillow. "Can I stay with you?" he asked in almost a whisper.

"I don't know. Maybe it's not a good idea tonight."

Sirius snuggled deeper into the pillow. "Please. I promise I won't tickle you anymore. I'm going to miss this if I transfer," he said unthinkingly.

Remus sat quietly for a moment. "You're still planning on that?"

Sirius nodded, his eyes growing heavy as he breathed in the other boy's calming scent from his pillow. "I have to. I'm meeting with Dumbledore tomorrow after breakfast."

Remus slid down, laying on his back as Sirius laid on his side, facing him. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Sirius frowned at the apparent sadness in his friend's voice as he laid with his eyes shut. "Yeah, but we can still talk and hang out if I do. Just not as often is all." They laid quietly for a few moments.

"Yeah - I suppose so," Remus said hesitantly.

Two sets of breathing filled the space.

"You can stay."

Sirius smiled at the sound of his friend's tiring voice and scooted closer. He breathed in deeply and was rewarded with a more direct line to the werewolf's scent. "You smell really good, Remus," Sirius murmured.

"Th-thanks, Sirius," Remus whispered.

"Mmm." Sirius pressed his nose against his friend's neck and breathed in again, barely registering the gasp that followed. "Night, Remus."

* * *

Sirius began to wake up, a feeling of complete ease keeping his eyes shut. He breathed in deeply and inhaled a delicious scent. _Chocolate_. His tongue darted out and licked the tasty object.

"Ah-h!"

Sirius opened his eyes to see Remus staring at him with wide eyes. "Hey, Remus. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing. Nothing's wrong." Remus sat up abruptly and climbed out of bed, quickly making his way to the bathroom.

Sirius frowned as he watched the boy leave the room. "What was that about?" he muttered to himself.

"You licked him."

"What?" Sirius turned to see a grinning James, standing by his trunk.

"Yeah, Remus and I were talking, and you just scooted up next to him and licked him." James leaned over and began to search through his trunk.

Sirius's jaw dropped open.

"You ran your tongue up his neck like he was a lolli-"

"-I get it, _James_," Sirius snapped, feeling surprisingly hot at the realization. "Why didn't Remus say something?"

"Honestly? I think he was too embarrassed." James laughed as he stood up, holding a book in his hand. "I mean, it was a pretty decent lick. You had your whole tongue flat against-" the wizard cut off suddenly when a pillow hit him square in the face.

"Tosser." Sirius jumped up from Remus's bed and walked over to his side of the room. He tried to remember the event but couldn't. He frowned as he opened his trunk.

"So, Remus said you had a meeting with Dumbledore today?" James asked from behind him.

Sirius froze. He had forgotten. "Oh, yeah. After breakfast," he said quietly as dread began to fill him once more.

James walked over and sat down on Sirius's bed. "What for? Did you get into trouble?" he asked, with a grin.

"Oh, uh, no. Not exactly." Sirius pulled on a shirt as he smoothed down his hair. He steeled himself for an outburst. "I'm going to request a House change."

"A _House change_?" James practically shouted the question, his voice incredulous.

Sirius began to button the shirt. "Yeah - to Slytherin."

James cursed under his breath. "Remus is so dead."

"What's that?" Sirius asked.

James looked up. "Oh, nothing," he said in a clearly pained voice. "I, uh, that's _cool_." He forced a smile.

Sirius blinked. "_Cool_?"

James nodded, clearly struggling with the motion.

Sirius dropped his slacks on top of his trunk and sat down beside the wizard. "Why are you lying to me?"

James let out an angry noise and then took in a deep breath. "Listen, Sirius. I'd be lying if I said I wanted you to leave us," he paused and took in another breath. "But, I know you wouldn't do it unless you had a good reason. So, no, it's not _cool_, but I — I understand." He clapped his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "We'll miss you though, _a lot_."

Sirius nodded. His stomach curling unpleasantly as he tried to respond. "Thanks, James," he said quietly as he stared at his feet.

"I should warn you though," James said in a suddenly serious voice.

Sirius looked up questioningly.

"You'll be hard pressed to find a Slytherin to cuddle with. Remus is exceptionally lenient with your eccentric ways." He grinned at his friend.

Sirius quirked a small smile as the discomfort in his stomach grew. "Yeah, you're probably right." He forced out a laugh when James shoved him playfully, shoving him back half-heartedly.

* * *

**Next chapter will conclude second year! **

**They grow up so fast. :'-(**


	15. Chapter 15

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: All right. Sooooo... Yeah. Hahaha! My my my. Hehe. Gah. Okay.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 15~**

* * *

Sirius pushed the food around on his plate.

"Sirius?"

The black-haired wizard looked up at his name and found himself gazing into hazel eyes.

"Yeah, Remus?"

"I just asked if you were feeling well." The sandy blond was studying him closely.

Sirius looked back down at his plate. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine."

James sat unusually quiet on his right. Peter wasn't saying anything either, clearly picking up on the somber mood of his three friends.

Sirius pushed his plate away. He stood up, looking over his shoulder and eyeing the doors to the Great Hall. "I think I'm going to go now," he said, the words feeling numb on his tongue, and his brain refusing to register his friends' responses.

He walked towards the door, his legs seemingly moving of their own accord as he blocked out what he was about to do.

"Sirius, wait!"

The dark-haired wizard turned around to see Remus jogging towards him. He ran a hand through his shaggy hair as he waited for the wizard to catch up with him.

Remus stopped in front of him. "Can I walk with you?"

Sirius nodded.

They made their way towards the headmaster's office silently, the corridors abandoned. Sirius scraped the toe of his shoe along the stones occasionally, the action oddly reminding him of home. _Stop it_, he chastised his mind.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah?"

"About - about last night," Remus said hesitantly.

Sirius stopped suddenly. He glanced around the empty hallway unnecessarily and then looked to Remus. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry," the werewolf said simply.

Sirius felt a pressure begin to bloom in his chest inexplicably. "Sorry?"

Remus nodded and looked away. "Yeah, I mean. How I pushed you away." He shifted in place nervously for a few beats and then made to leave.

Sirius grabbed his arm quickly, stopping him. "No, _wait_." He held the werewolf's arm as he tried to gather his thoughts. He took a step closer to him. "It's fine," he said quietly as he looked down at the sandy blond, the pressure in his chest growing, making it difficult to breathe.

Remus swallowed hard as he looked up at his friend. "You're not angry with me then?"

"No. I just," he stopped when his gaze landed on Remus's mouth. His friend's lips had turned up ever so slightly in relief at his words. He had the sudden urge to taste them. His mind began to race_. _He licked his lips. "_Can I kiss you_?"

Remus blinked slowly. "I." He met the wizard's gaze and nodded slightly.

Sirius leaned down and pressed his lips against Remus's. He heard a soft noise and pressed harder. Lips parted, and his mouth opened in response. His hands pulled at material, fingers settling on warm skin that wasn't his own, the sensation sending a thrill through his body, and they began to slide further, needing more-

Remus shoved him away hard, knocking him into the wall.

Sirius's chest rose and fell rapidly as he leaned against the stone wall, his fingers tingling and his grey eyes wide with excitement as he stared into dark eyes. "I'm sorry," he breathed as he tried to calm down. "I'm so sorry."

Remus shook his head, and his gaze shifted to the floor. He ran a hand roughly through his short locks. "It's okay."

Sirius nodded despite the wizard not being able to see it. He couldn't find his voice.

"I should go," the werewolf finally said in a subdued voice, glancing down the hallway from where they had just come, an unreadable expression masking his features.

"All right," Sirius forced out hoarsely. He watched as his friend turned the corner, leaving him alone.

He leaned his head back and rested it against the wall, a dry laugh bubbling from his lips._  
_

* * *

"Mr. Black, come in."

Sirius took a deep breath and walked into the Headmaster's office.

"Please, have a seat," the old wizard said as he stood by the open door, pointing to the chair that had appeared upon the boy's entrance.

"Thank you, sir," Sirius said as he walked over to the chair that looked like it could have been taken from the Gryffindor common room. He sat down in the oversized red chair.

"Lemondrop?" Dumbledore offered lightly, motioning to a silver dish as he sat down in the seat behind his desk.

"No, thank you, sir," Sirius responded, his stomach turning at the thought of eating anything.

The headmaster nodded. "Do you mind if I do?"

Sirius shook his head.

The wizard smiled and picked up one of the yellow candies and popped it into his mouth. "Hm. They're quite sour at first, painfully so, if I am being completely honest. However, you tend to forget though because then they sweeten, and you are left with an almost cloying flavor in your mouth. All around I suppose a rather unpleasant candy. But, I always go back to them for some reason."

Sirius nodded slowly at the unusual wizard.

"Well, enough talk about sweets. Let us discuss why you are here today, Mr. Black." He looked at the young wizard, his gaze intensifying.

Sirius felt his mouth go dry. This was it. He could finally make his parents happy and get on with his schooling, no longer having the threat of a House change hanging ominously over his head. "Sir," he started.

Dumbledore leaned forward on his elbows and raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"I would like to request a change to Slytherin House," he said in a monotone voice.

"Would you?"

Sirius licked his chapped lips. No. He wouldn't. But it didn't matter.

"Yes, sir."

The headmaster tilted his chin down and looked at the Gryffindor over his glasses, his blue eyes piercing. "You are not happy in your House, Mr. Black?"

"No. I mean - I _need_ to switch Houses, sir. Please." He bit the inside of his lip.

"And why do you _need_ to switch, if I might ask?" the old wizard asked gently.

Sirius looked down at his clasped hands in his lap. Could he tell him why? Should he? Should he lie? No, he suspected the wizard would be able to tell. He looked back up. "It is of the utmost importance that I switch, Sir," he said instead, being as honest as he could.

"I see," the older wizard said, his voice sounding surprisingly gruff.

"I'm sorry, sir." He looked down into his lap, feeling like he had angered the wizard somehow.

"Sirius, look at me."

Sirius looked up into twinkling blue eyes, all harshness gone.

"You need not apologize. It is I, who should be apologizing to you, I fear."

"Sir?"

"Sirius, I pride myself in being a good judge of character. And do you want to know what I gathered when I first met you for your school interview?"

Sirius thought for a moment. He nodded slowly.

The wizard smiled warmly. "You should know very few wizards have ever eluded my snap judgement. But, you are one of those. When we first met I was at a complete loss, and happily so, I might add," he paused and his gaze suddenly began to intensify a deepness pouring into them as he stared intently into grey eyes.

The young wizard maintained eye-contact as he fought the urge to squirm under the uncomfortable feeling. It was as if his very soul was being scrutinized.

The headmaster broke the gaze, his eyes flitting over to his dish of candies for a short moment before he looked back up at Sirius, his gaze appearing almost apologetic in nature. "It seems your path is your own," he said with a solemn tone of finality.

Sirius let out a breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. He furrowed his eyebrows as he thought of what the headmaster had just said. Or what he hadn't said.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm not sure I understand."

The old wizard nodded knowingly. "Unfortunately that is often the way things are," he responded with a sympathetic smile. "Now, as for your House change request."

Sirius nodded, sitting up straight as he waited for his decision. He forced a hopeful smile as his mind tried to push it down. _Please no. No. No. No. No. Say no._

Dumbledore studied him for a moment and then said in a happy voice, "Unfortunately, I cannot. It is in the school's rules that only the Sorting Hat may make that decision, and it refuses to make more than one judgement per student."

Sirius nodded slowly, holding back the relief that was trying to rush his body. "I understand. Is there _any_ other way?" he asked dutifully.

"_None_. Now, I am sure your parents will be eager to learn the results of this meeting, and so I will be personally visiting them tomorrow to tell them the details of our meeting and the subsequent news, so that they may air out any concerns or grievances with _me_," he said the last word with surprising force.

Sirius nodded. "Thank you, sir," he said, unsure of what to make of the statement. He started to stand up.

"Sirius."

He looked to the headmaster again.

"You make a _fine_ Gryffindor." His smile turned mischievous. "Make sure you and your dorm mates don't get into too much trouble tonight... celebrating." He winked at the boy.

Sirius let out a surprised laugh and grinned sheepishly at the headmaster. "We'll do our best, sir."

* * *

"Hey guys," Sirius said quietly as he walked into the dorm having come straight from his meeting. He dropped his gaze to the floor as the three wizards stopped what they were doing and stared at him.

"So, I was thinking - maybe we could all do something together tonight," he said sullenly.

"Yeah, sure, mate," James said, speaking up quickly as he pushed himself off his bed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well - I don't know." He looked up slowly, a huge grin gracing his features. "Maybe I should let you pick, seeing as how it looks like you guys are stuck with me for the next five years."

* * *

"Do you think it's safe?"

"Absolutely not."

Sirius and James grinned at each other, matching looks of mania flooding their eyes.

"What is with you two and sliding down banisters?" Remus asked as he looked down the shifting staircase. "It's not even that much fun."

James let out a shocked gasp and stumbled backwards as if he might faint.

Sirius reached out a hand, stabilizing his friend. "James, he doesn't mean it. Remus, surely you don't mean that," Sirius exclaimed in a distressed voice.

Remus nodded. "I do. And I have to say this is an awful idea. How are you planning on timing your slides? The switches are _unmethodical_. You do know what that means, right?"

Sirius nodded. James shook his head. Peter glanced between the two boys and then back to Remus, not responding.

"It means it's extra exciting," Sirius answered cheekily.

"No. It _means_, you are going to end up breaking your neck." Remus crossed his arms and frowned disapprovingly at his friends.

"I know what this is about," Sirius said, a grin slowly forming. He walked over to Remus and threw an arm around the confused wizard's shoulders.

"That I don't want you guys to die?" the sandy blond offered as he tried to hide the slight waver in his voice at the sudden nearness.

"No." Sirius leaned towards Remus, stopping when his mouth was almost touching the werewolf's ear and whispered softly, "You want a go at it first, don't you?"

Remus pushed him away. "I'm not going at all."

"Oh, come on, Remus," James whined. "You've got to."

"Yeah, we're celebrating my staying in Gryffindor. Remember? You said that I could choose _anything_." Sirius looked at the werewolf with an expectant expression.

"No, _James_ said that," Remus stated calmly.

"It's true. I did." James smiled happily.

"Yeah, but you nodded. I saw it!" Sirius pointed accusingly at the werewolf. "Peter is going to do it. So, you can't back out."

"Uh, I never-"

"-Yeah, if Peter is in. You can't not be!" James chipped in.

"Guys, I never-"

"-So, what's it going to be, Remus?" Sirius looked at his friend, his eyebrows arched, a disappointed look proactively crossing his face.

"Guys-"

"-_Shut up_, Peter."

Remus sighed and then nodded begrudgingly. "Fine. But, just this once."

"Excellent."

* * *

"Remus-Remus, I am _so_ sorry!"

"Shut up! Can't you see he's sleeping!"

"You shut up, you stupid git!" There were muffled noises followed by a few dull thuds.

"You're such a bloody wanker!"

"How _dare_ you call me that! You better not-"

"-_Wanker_!"

"Aghh!"

"Ow! _Ow_!"

"-Guys. _Shut. Up_."

James and Sirius looked over to see Remus's eyes opened. Sirius released James from the headlock he had just secured him in, causing the wizard to drop to the floor. He walked over quickly to the werewolf's bedside.

"Remus, are you okay?" Sirius asked as he leaned over the bed with wide grey eyes.

Remus closed his eyes again and swallowed. "Yeah, my head just hurts," he said quietly.

"All right. You two need to leave now. You're being far too loud," Madam Pomfrey said curtly as she walked into the curtained-off area, carrying a tray of potions.

"No, we're sorry Madam Pomfrey," Sirius said in a rush. "Could just one of us stay? Just until he falls back asleep?" He shot the witch his most pathetic look.

She let out a huff as she set the tray down on the table by Remus's bed. "All right. _One_ of you may stay, and _only_ until he falls asleep. No exceptions."

"I'll stay," Sirius spoke up again quickly. He turned to James. "It was mostly my fault for guilting him into it after all."

James nodded. "Yeah, all right. I'll tell Pete he's okay."

Sirius stood quietly as he watched James leave and then sat down in one of the nearby chairs as he waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish.

"There. Now, you should be in top shape by morning. Just try to get some rest," she said in a surprisingly soft voice to the werewolf.

Sirius watched the boy nod quietly, offering a grateful smile to the mediwitch.

Madam Pomfrey glared suspiciously at Sirius as she walked out, closing the curtains behind her.

"So, how far did I make it?"

Sirius glanced up. "Oh, uh," he paused as he remembered the wizard falling to the ground before he was even halfway down. "You _almost_ made it," he said, failing to hold back a grimace.

Remus grinned at him. "You're an awful liar."

Sirius returned the gesture. "Maybe, but only if I feel guilty though."

Remus nodded. "I suppose you're right. I practically believed you when you made up that story for Slughorn of how Lily's skirt got shrunk, and I even saw you cast the spellwork."

Sirius shrugged his shoulders, his smile falling from his lips abruptly. He cleared his throat. "Remus, listen, I'm really sorry."

Remus turned his head and looked up at the ceiling. "It wasn't really your fault, Sirius. I obviously knew the risks."

"No." Sirius stood up. "I meant about what happened earlier today - after breakfast."

Remus didn't respond.

He walked over to the werewolf's bedside and sat down on the edge near his hand. "For - for kissing you like that_._"

Remus sighed. "I agreed to it, Sirius. You don't need to apologize."

"Yeah." He looked down at the wizard's hand, finding he wanted to touch it. He shook his head. "But, I kind of - _ruined_ it - didn't I?"

Remus moved his hand away from Sirius and up to his chest, drawing the wizard's gaze with it. He sighed, his eyes closing. "Let's just not talk about it," he said quietly.

Sirius chewed on the inside of his cheek as he continued to study the hand that was rising and falling with each breath the werewolf took. "So, you want to just forget about it then?" he asked uncertainly.

Remus opened his eyes and met Sirius's gaze. "Is that what you want?"

Sirius thought for a moment. He didn't really know what he wanted. He found himself nodding.

* * *

"I hate this train ride," Sirius mumbled as he stared out at the speeding ground. He sat in a compartment with his three friends, the train racing along as if it couldn't wait to reach the station.

The dark-haired wizard closed his eyes. He couldn't believe school was already over for the year. _Two months. Two long months._

"So you're still allowed to come and stay for a couple weeks, right Remus?"

Sirius's eyes flitted open, and he watched the werewolf nod.

"Yeah, my parents said I could come a week after the full moon," he said with a smile.

"I wish I could go, but my mum says we'll be traveling all summer," Peter said sullenly.

"What about you, Sirius? Did your parents say yes?" James turned to his friend, who was sitting beside him.

"No, sorry, mate." Sirius let out a harsh laugh and began to tap the window with his finger, the errant thought of busting it open popped into his mind. He felt a sudden surge of magic begin to race from his core and towards his fingertips. He gasped, forcing it back in before it could make it all the way down his arm. He pulled his hand away quickly and sat upright.

"You okay, Sirius?"

Sirius looked up at Remus. "Yeah, I - uh - yeah, I'm good," he said, nodding to add validity to his hesitant words. He forced an easy smile. "So, are you going to miss seeing my pretty face in the morning?"

Remus laughed as he shook his head. "Definitely."

James let out a groan. "That reminds me. Evie asked me to give you this," he said, pulling out a piece of parchment and holding it out for Sirius.

Sirius took the note and opened it. His eyes widened as he read the words on the parchment.

"What's it say?" James asked curiously.

"She," Sirius paused and a shocked laugh escaped his lips. "She asked me to stay with her and her family at their beach house in Italy for three weeks. She says that my parents have already given their permission."

He lowered the paper as his mind struggled to not jump at the offer. _Why shouldn't I want to go? It sounds fun, and I won't have to be home._ His mind settled on a conjured mental picture of the pretty blonde in a bathing suit. An impish smile pushed up the corners of his mouth. Perhaps he should go. _Maybe Evie would like to kiss. She's older, and she seems eager enough. I'm sure-_

"-Do you think you'll go?" Remus asked, interrupting the boy's train of thought.

Sirius glanced up at the sandy blond, his grin dropping as he noticed something off about the werewolf. Remus was looking at him with a questioning look, but there was something else about his expression he was trying to hide. He almost seemed uneasy or _nervous_.

"No, probably not," he said, folding the paper and tossing it back to James in a flippant manner.

"What? _Why not?_" James asked, bemoaning the wizard's choice as if it were his own loss.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't want to go is all." He looked back out the window, an uncomfortable feeling settling over him._  
_

* * *

_**The note below has been added as explanation, because there have been some unhappy with this chapter. If you were not, feel free to skip it. :-)**_

_**NOTE: Sirius and Remus are both 13 in this scene. Sirius will be 14 actually in five months. Now, there was supposed to be something off about the kiss. Which is why Sirius kept apologizing and Remus got upset.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: I've struggled with posting this chapter. I hope it is received in the manner in which it was intended. **

**CHAPTER WARNINGS: Incest themes, depending on your culture. Is not considered incestuous in theirs. Non-consensual in nature. ****If you wish to skip the scene, move down to the first line break. **If this may be of concern, please read below for further information. Spoiler alert.

* * *

Spoiler: The 'relationship' is between two minors. One of the minors is Strongly influenced by parental figures, but it is unknown to the other minor, who believes it to be completely consensual. Relationship is between cousins.

* * *

**~Chapter 16~**

* * *

Sirius laid on his bed. His trunk was pushed against the far wall and only partially unpacked. He held up the item that had interrupted his unpacking. A pair of Remus's socks. He lifted them to his nose experimentally and sniffed. A laugh escaped his lips. They smelled like his friend oddly enough. He tossed the socks up into the air and then caught them with one hand as he thought.

When he had gotten home his parents had been exceptionally cold. His father had told him in no uncertain terms he was unhappy with the result of his meeting with Dumbledore, and while they understood that there was nothing to be done about it they had certain expectations if he wanted to remain at Hogwarts. The first of which was that he would be going to Italy with the Greengrasses in a month's time.

_Maybe Remus won't care. I was probably just imagining it. _He stopped tossing the socks, letting them rest on his chest. Why would Remus care? Because they had kissed? Surely not. It was just that once, and Remus had been keeping his distance ever since. _It's like he regrets it_. The wizard closed his eyes, pushing away the thought. It wasn't like they were going steady. Sirius let out a sharp laugh at the thought.

"What's so funny?"

Sirius's eyes opened and he sat up. "Andromeda, what are you doing here?" he asked with a smile.

The witch grinned back and walked over to his bed, dropping down on it and scooting over until she was lying next to him, their sides touching. "My dad is meeting with your dad," she said simply as she stared up at the ceiling. "Bella's here, too. She's downstairs with your mum in the parlor."

"I'm offended she didn't want to see me."

"Oh, she did. Trust me, but our father forbade it."

Sirius and Andromeda grinned at each other. Something about the witch's smile made him think of Remus.

Sirius studied the grey-eyed witch curiously. "Andromeda, have you kissed anyone before?" he asked abruptly.

Andromeda blushed. "Yeah, a few times."

Sirius nodded. He didn't know why, but the answer pleased him.

"Have you? Kissed anyone - that is?" she asked quietly beside him, the mood in the room shifting suddenly.

Sirius thought back to his kiss with Remus, and the blood in his veins picked up speed. "Yeah."

"Who?"

Sirius licked his lips as his body began to respond to the memory. "Remus."

Andromeda looked over at him in surprise. "Your friend, Remus?"

Sirius nodded and turned on his side, his cousin mirroring the movement. He ran a hand along the witch's long black hair and smiled when she didn't move away from the touch.

"Yeah, I've never kissed a girl before," he said, his voice softening as his hand moved to her neck, and he ran the backs of his fingers along the soft, porcelain skin. His gaze shifted to full, red lips. "I think I might like to kiss you."

The witch blinked. "I'm a bit older than you," she said somewhat hesitantly.

Sirius's smile widened. "Three years to be exact. But, I'm a bit taller than you," he said with a laugh, mimicking her.

Andromeda smiled in response but then her expression grew more serious. "Do you like me, Sirius?" she asked.

Sirius's smile wavered, but then he forced it back, plastering it there firmly. "Of course I do, Andromeda. Do you like me?" he asked, his hand settling on the front of the witch's neck gently, his fingers wrapping around the sides but not placing any pressure on the area, her pulse thumping under his thumb.

"You're very attractive, Sirius," she said softly. "I just - do you really want this?"

Sirius's hand slid down, ghosting along the witch's skin just above the swell of her chest. "What if I did?" he asked curiously.

"Then, then I'd let you."

He slid his hand down lower and settled on her stomach just above her skirt, his fingers curving around her side. "I do," he said and then gently squeezed, eliciting a gasp from the witch and sending a surge of excitement down through his own body.

He leaned forward and pressed a kiss gently on his cousin's neck, working his way up as his hand slid in the opposite direction. "Andromeda, you are _very_ pretty," he whispered when he reached the witch's ear.

"Th-thanks, Sirius," she stuttered.

He smiled and then leaned forward and pressed his lips to the girl's, his mouth opening and his tongue running along her lips. She opened her mouth, letting his tongue move in. He felt arms slowly wrap around his neck and then they were pulling him closer as his hand ran down over her skirt, settling on smooth skin.

Fingers ran timidly down his side, stopping at the top of his slacks and tugged at them questioningly. He nodded eagerly.

* * *

Sirius sat up and moved to the edge of the bed. He stared at the wall as he avoided eye-contact with the witch lying on the bed behind him. He swallowed, trying to push down the uneasy feelings that had started plaguing him as soon as they had stopped. "So, uh. Thanks," he said lamely as he stood up, not turning around.

"Sirius?"

He adjusted his shirt and sniffed nonchalantly. "Yeah?"

"Look at me, please?"

Sirius turned around as he ran a hand through his hair to smooth it. "What's up?" he asked shortly, his tone bordering indifferent as he kept the emotions he was feeling out of his voice.

The witch looked up at him with a concerned look on her face. "Why did you want to do that?" she asked cautiously.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "Didn't you like it?"

The witch chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment. "It's not that. It's just—when you said you liked me—did you mean it?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair again, his gaze shifting away. He hadn't. Why had he said that? He didn't dislike her, but he knew what she had meant.

"Yeah, of course I did," he lied.

The witch nodded slowly, her eyes searching him for something. "But aren't you going to stay with Evie Greengrass in Italy this summer?"

Sirius looked back to her and smiled somewhat sheepishly. "Yeah, but only because I don't have a say. I don't want to go. My parents said it would be rude to decline the invitation is all."

Andromeda nodded again, the movement growing more slight. "So you don't like her?"

"No, not at all," he said firmly, the statement being one of the only truths he had told in the past hour.

"Okay. Do you want to visit me tomorrow?" she asked in an unsure voice.

A grin slowly formed at the invitation, all guilt leaving him. "Yeah, I'd like that."

* * *

"Sirius, you and Andromeda seem to have been getting along well this summer, I see."

Sirius glanced up from his book at the sound of his father's voice. The tall wizard was standing in the doorway of the library. "Yes, sir."

Orion nodded in a seemingly pleased manner. "Does she please you?"

Sirius blinked. _What_? "Sir?"

A lecherous smile slowly crossed the wizard's face, making Sirius's stomach turn. "I remember what is was like at your age, Sirius. I spoke to your uncle Cygnus and arranged it to ease your summer."

"I don't understand, Father," he said, barely able to keep his tone level. Sirius felt like he had been punched in the chest. Had Andromeda not wanted to do those things? Had he been taking advantage of her?

"Your cousin." Orion's smile grew. "She is quite the beauty. I thought you might enjoy her company. So, I requested that her affections be _encouraged_."

He had. Sirius felt bile begin to rise in his throat. How had he not known? Memories flitted through his mind. The waver in her voice. The way she refused to say whether she wanted to do the things they were doing. How could he have been so stupid?

"Don't you have something to say, Sirius?"

Sirius looked up at him, the expectant look in his father's eyes making him want to be sick. "Thank you - Father."

The older man nodded and then turned, walking out of the room.

* * *

"Hey, Sirius."

Sirius laid on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

"Sirius?"

He refused to respond as his cousin walked over to his bedside.

"Sirius, are you okay?"

The wizard closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her. "Yeah, I'm great," he said, his tone flat.

"You don't sound great."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, dropping all pretense, still refusing to look at the girl. He couldn't.

Silence.

"Tell you what?"

Sirius's eyes opened, anger flashing in them. He sat up and glared at the witch, who was standing by his bed. He had been so blind. "Why didn't you tell me about our _arrangement_? You _should_ have told me," he hissed quietly, not wanting their conversation to be overheard.

The witch dropped down on the bed, sitting on the edge. "I - I thought you knew."

Sirius's eyes widened. "_What_? You thought I _knew_?" he asked incredulously. He let out a confused laugh. "You thought I would _do_ something like that to you?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders apologetically as she looked down at her hands. "I don't know. I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"You're sorry? _You're_ sorry?" He began to laugh again, his mind struggling. What did that mean? She was sorry? For what? He was the one who should be sorry. How could he have done this to her?

"Sirius-Sirius are you all right?" A worried hand reached out and settled on the wizard's shoulder, stifling his laughter.

He jerked away from the unwanted touch. What had he been thinking? He didn't even like her. He had used her. And he had lied to her. Was he already losing any semblance of good in him? "Please, _just go._"

"Sirius, _please_-"

"-Andromeda, I don't want to talk." He laid back down, his hands rubbing at his face as he tried to keep it together. He waited for the door to open but it remained silent.

"I can't," she finally whispered.

Sirius's hands stilled. "_What_?"

"I can't. I can't leave. My father... He would be upset," she said in a whisper, her voice pained.

Sirius felt guilt rush over him. "Oh." He didn't know what else to say.

She laid down on the bed, but didn't scoot closer, leaving space between them. They laid in heavy silence for a few minutes. "You didn't do anything wrong, Sirius," she said quietly.

The wizard didn't respond, the sentiment behind the words bouncing off of him.

"You _didn't_. And, I should have known you didn't know. I just... I was being stupid. I'm sorry."

Sirius turned his head to look at his cousin. "No. No, _I'm sorry_." He looked back up at the ceiling. "Can I ask you something?" he asked, his voice growing unusually timid.

"Yeah."

"You didn't want to do any of what we did. Did you?" he asked unnecessarily, his emotions ebbing as he waited for a response.

The witch laid quietly for a long moment. "That's a difficult question to answer."

"How so?"

"Well, I mean. You were really sweet, and it was... nice. But, I'm not sure if I would have done it if..."

"If you hadn't been expected to?" Sirius offered, completing her thought.

"Yeah... Sorry."

Sirius let out a slow breath, an emotion forming quietly in his chest, his eyes growing dark.

"_Don't be_."

* * *

Sirius glared at the back of his father's head as he walked behind him into Greengrass Manor.

"Orion, so good to see you," a tall blond-haired man greeted the wizard as they walked into a sitting room. The house was better lit than Grimmauld Place, the curtains having been pulled back to let in natural sunlight.

"Ian, it is always a pleasure," Orion responded, his voice infused with an unusual politeness. He motioned to his son, who only stood a few inches shorter than his six-foot, two-inch frame.

"Ah, Sirius. You've gotten so much taller since the last time we met," the man greeted him warmly, extending a hand to him.

"Yes, I've grown quite a bit this summer. Thank you for your generous offer, Mr. Greengrass," Sirius said smoothly, taking the proffered hand and shaking with the man, his grip firm.

"Please, have a seat. We are almost ready to leave." He motioned to a white couch and then sat in a tall-backed grey chair. "Evie is thrilled to have you coming along. She was terribly bored last year. There was no one her age at any of the nearby villas."

Orion remained standing as his son took a seat. "I actually have business to attend to within the hour. So, I should be going. Please give my regards to Odela for me."

The man stood quickly and nodded. "Of course. We will take good care of Sirius for you."

"I'm sure you will," he said shortly and then turned and walked out of the parlor.

Sirius stared straight ahead, relief flooding him as the man walked out of the room.

* * *

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is. Thanks for asking me to come with you," Sirius said as he stood beside Evie on the beach. It was noon, and they had just arrived an hour before. He felt inexplicably happy as he looked out at the turquoise water and listened to the waves crashing against the shore. _Three weeks_.

"I'm just glad you accepted. Do you want to go in?" she asked coyly, looking up at him with a shy smile.

Sirius glanced down at his newly purchased shorts and t-shirt. He had never been in the ocean before, only lakes. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the chair behind him. "Sure."

He walked out into the water beside the witch and felt a hand slide into his, intertwining their fingers. He glanced over at her questioningly.

"So I don't fall over," the blue-eyed witch explained nervously.

Sirius looked down at their hands unsurely. A wave of coolish warm water rushed softly around his legs and then slid back away, pulling some of the sand from under his feet with it, tickling his skin. He looked up at the blonde, who was wearing a genuine smile on her face and found himself smiling back at her.

* * *

**All right. So, I hate bogging you guys down with long author's notes. So, this will be the last time.**

**This story WILL have dark and disturbing moments in it at times. When this does happen, I will make sure to put a warning at the top of the chapter. This way, those of you who want to skim or skip may do so. **

**There have been questions about Sirius's age again, too. He will be fourteen in 4 months. I believe this IS young, which is why none of his friends are doing the same thing. He's being a bit unhealthy here. If you are not okay with this, I understand completely, and I apologize to anyone I have upset. I do not write this with the intention of glamorizing or romanticizing these events but to properly convey his life.**

**Again if these themes bother you and would keep you from enjoying the story as a whole—you might consider dropping this. I really don't want to torture any of you guys. Thank you all for reading. I hope some of you stick with me and continue to enjoy the story for what it is. :-)**

**Sorry for the giant wall of text. I just wanted to address this issue once more, because of the responses I have received as of late.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: New Chapter. :-) Hope you like it. Third Year begins now! **

**I want to take a moment and thank rlassie and hato-ryou-chan for being such good buddies. You guys are the best!**

**I also want to thank ImSuperSiriusGuys, Author 2. She's so awesome, and she gave me the prank idea. You are also the best! Hahahaha!**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 17~**

* * *

Sirius walked along the narrow train hallway toward his friends' usual compartment. "Hurry it up, you _wretched_ house elf. I don't have all day," he snapped at the hated servant, who he was having move his luggage purely out of spite.

"Yes, _Master Sirius_," the elf growled sarcastically, glowering at the non-pureblooded wizards and witches as they passed. "Kreacher is here to serve."

Sirius's lip curled up on one side in distaste. "Yes, you are - at least until I take over. Then I'll have your head hung over the fireplace," he snarled. He stopped, glancing in his car discreetly and confirming Remus's absence before entering. He wasn't there yet. Only James. Good. He pushed open the door.

"Sirius, it's good to see you, mate!" James greeted him happily. He was sitting in dark jeans and a red t-shirt, with the words 'What The Hell is a Hufflepuff?' written across the chest in gold calligraphy.

"Hullo, James. Still as ugly as ever, I see," Sirius said with a wide grin, happy to see his friend again, his anger ebbing. It had been far too long.

"Wanker," James responded lightly, letting out a good-natured laugh and flipping his friend off.

"You wish." Sirius winked and flopped down beside him, purposely ignoring the impatient elf, who was waiting dutifully if not cheerfully for further instruction from the wizard. _He can rot there for all I care_.

The elf grumbled something that sounded suspiciously offensive and then effortlessly levitated the wizard's trunk, setting it down beside James's. He turned to Sirius and sneered, "Anything _else_, Master Sirius?"

Sirius dismissed him with a slight wave of his hand, without looking over as he spoke to James, "It's so hard to get good help these days."

The elf glared daggers at his young master, clearly taking offense to the non-verbal shooing, before turning and leaving the car.

"He's an angry house elf. Isn't he?" James asked in a conversational tone after the door slammed shut. He leaned over, grabbing a bag from under the seat and then proceeded to fish out his growing collection of chocolate frog cards to look through.

Sirius nodded as he leaned back in the seat and tried to relax. He found his hatred toward the house elf growing with each trip home. He and Regulus had had another confrontation just a few days back after Sirius had returned from his trip with the Greengrass family. He had made another attempt to interact with his younger brother, hoping Regulus had finally come to the realization that the elf was full of rubbish. He hadn't.

"So, how was your summer?" James asked curiously as he began to make two piles with his cards, separating the duplicates for trading purposes later.

"Hot," Sirius responded curtly, his mind immediately pulling up his time at home. He didn't want to think of it. It was all like a bad dream. He had actually spent his last week desperately trying to avoid his parents in the fear that they might try to 'give' him something else. Or _someone _else. He swallowed hard, his stomach souring, and an angry guilt filled his chest as he tried not to think of his cousin. _We're fine now. It's all, it's all fine,_ he lied to himself as he fought to keep his breathing even and his face a calm mask as he shoved the unwanted feelings back down where they belonged.

James glanced up at his friend and eyed him speculatively, a smile slowly forming. "Wait a minute. You went to Italy with Evie, didn't you?"

Sirius turned to him to respond when the door pushed open and Remus walked in, Peter following behind him.

"Remus! Peter!" James shouted excitedly.

Sirius let out a relieved sigh, hoping the wizard would forget to pursue the question.

"Hello, James." Remus smiled warmly as he used his wand to quickly cast a 'leviosa', sending his and then Peter's trunk up onto the shelf. He glanced over to Sirius and grinned.

Sirius returned the quiet greeting, all coherent thoughts abandoning him as he watched Remus sit down across from him. His friend had grown a few inches, his hair was slightly longer, looking like it could get mussed if he were to run his hands through it, and the sandy-colored locks hung around his hazel eyes in a way that made Sirius's brain turn to mush.

"Hey guys," Peter said amiably, taking the seat across from James.

"You two are just in time to hear the news," James said in an eager voice, glancing over to his distracted friend mischievously before continuing, "Sirius went to Italy with Evie Greengrass." He smiled widely at the two new occupants, wiggling his eyebrows in an insinuating manner.

Sirius shot a glare at his best friend. "I never said that," he snapped, resisting the urge to glance back over at Remus. Stupid James. He had hoped to hold off on telling Remus about his summer - maybe tell him in private. He didn't know why exactly, but he felt terribly uncomfortable every time he thought of the boy finding out._  
_

James let out a loud laugh. "You didn't have to, mate. _I can tell_," he said rather smugly.

"And how's that?" Sirius asked shortly, growing more irritated.

"Easy. _You_...have a tan." James let out a victorious laugh when Sirius merely shrugged his shoulders at his reasoning. "And here I was under the impression that you were half-vampire or something, what with your pale skin."

"Shut up, James." Sirius punched him in the shoulder hard.

"Oi! What was that for!" James cried, rubbing his shoulder and glowering at the wizard.

"For being a git." Sirius glanced over to his two other friends. He found his gaze suddenly trapped in Remus's. He forced a smile. "Hey, Remus."

"Sirius," Remus responded genially. He shot Sirius an unsure smile when the dark-haired wizard didn't say anything further but continued to stare at him.

Sirius scrambled for something more to say to the werewolf. '_Did you do something different with your hair? Can I touch it?' No. No. No... 'You look really nice, Remus. Not that you don't usually, but you look even better now.' Agh. 'I haven't seen you in a while. Do you want to kiss?' Shit.. Maybe-_

"-So go on. Tell us. You snogged her, didn't you?" James asked excitedly, interrupting the wizard's thoughts. "There's no way you spent three weeks with her without kissing. So spill."

Remus looked away and out the window at the words, a slightly uncomfortable look settling on his features.

Sirius turned slowly towards his madly grinning friend and felt the distinct urge to hit him again, but perhaps in the face. "That's really none of your business," he said sharply.

"What do you mean? You can't _not_ tell me! I'm your _best friend_!" James complained.

Sirius glanced back over to Remus before responding coolly, "That's debatable." He saw a small smile curl up the werewolf's lips as he continued to look out on the changing scenery.

"Aw, you're no fun," James said loudly. He stood up. "Remus, switch me seats, yeah? I want to trade cards with Peter."

"All right," Remus said, standing up and then moving over beside Sirius, leaving over a foot of space between them.

"Hello there." Sirius grinned and scooted closer, leaving only half the space that had been there, his feet itching to narrow it even further as he eyed the sandy blond.

Remus returned the grin somewhat hesitantly and glanced over to Peter and James before turning back. "How was your summer?"

"Boring," Sirius said lazily with a smile playing on his lips, feeling content with the sandy blond by his side. "Yours?"

"It was all right," he paused. "So, you went to Italy then?"

Sirius's chest constricted. He leaned his head back against the seat as he looked into hazel eyes. "Yeah. My parents didn't give me much of a choice," he said, his tone apologetic despite his best efforts.

"Did you have fun?" Remus asked, seemingly not noticing the tone.

He had. A lot. He and Evie had spent almost every day swimming and when they weren't swimming they were lounging on the beach, eating or sleeping. Her parents were actually rather nice wizards and had been very kind to him. It had been much better than his time at home.

"It wasn't awful," he hedged. He scooted closer, their legs almost touching. "I missed you this summer," he added quietly, meeting his friend's hazel gaze.

Remus's eyebrows rose subtly. "You did?"

Sirius nodded slightly. "Yeah... Did you miss me?" he asked playfully, smiling cheekily as his dark eyebrows lifted in an expectant manner.

"No - actually I didn't. Not at all." Remus dead-panned before quirking a smile.

Sirius let out a soft laugh as his chest filled with warmth. He scooted closer, his leg finally pressing against Remus's and sending a tingling sensation up through his body. He spoke in almost a whisper. "Remus, listen, I-"

"-_Oi_, what are you two whispering about over there?" James asked suspiciously, interrupting their conversation. "Are you telling Remus about you and Evie?"

Remus's leg shifted away.

Sirius's jaw clenched. "James—I told you—just _leave_ it," he growled out, irritation building quickly.

"I bet that means he didn't. Maybe she turned him down," Peter said with a nervous grin.

Sirius's head jerked towards the smallest boy, anger flaring to life. "_Shut it_ Peter, or I'll do it _for you_." He moved to stand up when the wizard didn't apologize.

Remus grabbed his arm, holding him in place. "Sirius, calm down, he was just joking."

Sirius breathed in slowly and then let out a deep breath as he leaned back in the chair, glaring at the blond.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Peter squeaked out quickly when Remus's hand left Sirius's arm, his eyes darting to the door like he wanted to bolt.

"Yeah, you are, you _spineless_ prat," Sirius sneered at him.

James frowned. "Hey now. Peter said he was sorry, Sirius. He was just having a bit of fun with you. You know that." He shot his friend a level look.

Sirius shrugged and looked out the window. His eyebrows drew together as he began to scan the horizon, his thoughts stressing him. He knew his friends, including Remus, would figure out something had happened between him and the witch once they got back to school. He shifted uncomfortably. He just wasn't sure what he should do about it.

"So, uh, who wants something from the trolley, then?" James asked, trying to lighten the mood. He stood up, Remus and Peter joining him.

"Sirius, are you coming, mate?"

The wizard glanced up at his best friend, who was looking down at him expectantly. "No, I'm good," he said quietly. He turned his gaze back to the window, ignoring the glances his friends were shooting him as they filed out of the compartment.

* * *

"Can you see anything?" The words were whispered.

"No, and stop breathing down my neck," Sirius whispered back tersely. He crawled along the back of the couch, leaving James's side to peek around the side of the couch they were hiding behind. He pushed up on his knees and peered down over the armrest, a smile crawling up his lips as his gaze settled on their target. He lowered back down slowly and crawled back over to the messy-haired wizard.

"Well?" James asked in a hushed tone, his eyes wide with excitement.

"She's asleep," he said matter-of-factly.

"What was she _thinking_?" James asked, his whispered words filled with glee.

Sirius shook his head in amused disbelief. "It's almost like she _wanted_ us to prank her."

The two wizards burst into quiet laughter, covering their mouths as they struggled to stop.

James's hand settled on Sirius's still shaking chest, his gaze grew determined. "Let's do this."

Sirius collected himself, let out a breath and nodded once. He pulled out his wand and began to crawl back over to the armrest as he held his wand in his right hand, James following him. He stopped and looked to James. "You'll need to do her face since you're better at this, and I'll help with the rest."

James nodded quickly. He stood up cautiously, his gaze scanning the dark Gryffindor common room. It was the first night back, and it was completely empty. He motioned Sirius to stand before pointing his wand at the sleeping red-headed witch. He began to whisper a complicated but familiar spell.

The witch's ears slowly began to grow and then change shape, becoming more pointy as fur began to grow on them. He let out a deep breath, a concentrated look on his face as he moved his wand to her nose and then mouth, slowly transfiguring all of the witch's facial features.

"She needs more whiskers," Sirius whispered helpfully as he stood, watching his friend's impressive wandwork.

James tilted his head. "Yeah, I think you're right," he said, lifting his wand and adding more whiskers to the witch's altered face. "What do you think?

"It's fucking brilliant."

James bit on his tongue as he grinned, nodding in complete agreement. "All right, you can start now."

Sirius nodded and lifted his own wand as James took a break. "We'll do the reduction charm last," he said as he began to work happily, his eyes dancing with amusement.

* * *

"Aghhhh! She _bit_ me!"

"Haha-_Ow_! Owowow! Bad! _Bad Evans_!"

Thundering footsteps followed the yells, and the door to the Gryffindor boys' third-year dorm swung open suddenly, slamming against the wall loudly.

"What is going on?" Remus asked, his curtains pulled apart to see James and Sirius sprint wildly into the room.

"Save me, Remus!" Sirius jumped onto the werewolf's bed, landing on top of him and knocking him flat against the bed.

"_Sirius_!" Remus shoved the wizard off him and onto the space beside him, sitting back up.

"Ahhhh! She's going to stab me with her little claws! _Why_ did we give her claws?" James somehow climbed up one of the posts to his four poster, whimpering as he tried to keep from sliding back down.

"Guys, what in-" Remus stopped suddenly when a medium-sized cat jumped onto his bed, a loud growling noise coming from its chest as it flicked its tail back and forth aggressively. It hissed loudly, its sharp teeth bared as it began to stalk towards a terrified Sirius.

Sirius scrambled behind Remus, smashing himself between the wizard's back and the headboard. "You wouldn't hurt Remus now, would you?"

Remus frowned when the cat stopped at the question and glanced up at him. It took a step towards him and let out a mournful-sounding meow and then looked at him expectantly. The werewolf furrowed his eyebrows and leaned closer, studying the odd ginger-colored cat. It had a long, plush, shiny coat, the color almost a deep red. "_No_." Remus looked up, his gaze locking with the feline's intelligent, bright green eyes.

"Lily?"

The cat meowed sadly in response.

* * *

"Hi, Sirius."

Sirius looked up from his plate to see the blonde witch, who he had been avoiding, standing in front of him. It was the first weekend of school, and he had managed to evade the girl until just then. It was the day of a full moon.

"Evie, fancy seeing you here." He grinned widely at the witch, trying to act like he hadn't just run from her calls the day before.

She returned the smile with a small, shy one and looked down at the empty seat where Remus usually sat. "Can I join you?"

Sirius's smile dropped. She wanted to sit with them?

"Sure, Remus isn't here," James spoke up, elbowing his friend when he sat quiet for too long.

"Thanks," she said softly, sitting down across from the silent wizard.

Sirius glared at James as he rubbed his side.

"So, how have you been?"

Sirius glanced back at her. "Oh, uh. Good. You?" he asked, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling of having the witch sitting in Remus's seat. _It's just a chair. And he can't even sit in it right now anyway-_

"-Sirius?"

The wizard glanced up at the blonde to see an expectant look on her face.

He tilted his head, studying her expression as if he could deduce her already spoken words somehow if he searched long enough.

"So, do you?" she asked, her voice growing nervous as she began to fidget with a lock of her hair.

"Do I what?" he asked, staring at her blankly.

She bit her lip. "I said - my birthday's tomorrow, and my parents are coming to take me to Hogsmeade, and they said you could come along. Would you like to?" She looked at him, waiting for his answer.

Sirius made an indecisive humming noise as he tried to figure out a way to get out of her offer while still being polite. Nothing came to mind. "No."

James choked on his pumpkin juice, spraying half the contents of his mouth onto his food as the rest stubbornly tried to drown him.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, her face dropping.

Sirius groaned internally and forced a grin. "I'm just pulling your leg, Evie. Sure. It sounds nice," he said, holding back the grimace that wanted to distort his features.

The witch let out a surprised laugh and her smile quickly returned although it was more hesitant. She stood up. "Great. My parents said they'd work it out with yours and the school. So, I'll see you at noon at the front door, then?"

"Sure, sounds great," he said somewhat flatly, causing the witch's smile to falter again before she nodded and walked off. He watched her leave as he thought about what he had agreed to. He'd be gone when Remus got back that was for sure. He cringed at the thought of James telling the werewolf where he was.

"What was that about?" James asked in a disturbed voice once the girl was out of hearing distance.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and stood up. "I think I'm going to run over and check on Remus," he said in just above a whisper so none of their housemates would overhear.

"All right. See ya." James grabbed Sirius's plate, switching it with his ruined one.

Sirius mumbled a goodbye and walked off quickly, his mind racing as he tried to figure out what he was going to say to his hazel-eyed friend.

* * *

"Hey, Sirius," Remus said in a tired but happy voice as the wizard approached the bed he was sitting in at the back of the hospital. He set down the Transfiguration book he had been reading on the bed in front him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, Peter wanted some alone time with James," he said cheekily, grinning when Remus laughed. He pulled a nearby chair over to the hospital bed his friend was sitting on. "Feeling all right?" he asked as he sat down.

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I've been better though," he said quietly.

Sirius glanced down at his hands. Maybe it wasn't the best time. No. No, he needed to just get it over with. A frustrated noise rumbled in his chest before he forced out, "Remus - I should probably tell you something."

"Oh? Well, what is it?" the werewolf asked in a somewhat cautious voice.

Sirius took in a deep breath and then mumbled under his breath, "EvieandIsnogged."

"_What_?"

Sirius looked up at the question that hadn't really sounded like a question at all. Remus was looking at him with an intent expression.

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a resigned breath. "Remus—Evie and I—we kissed," he said more slowly, wishing it wasn't true. He hadn't even wanted to, not after what had happened with his cousin. In fact, he had tried his best the whole three weeks to keep his lips far away from the pretty blonde's, and he had almost succeeded. He didn't even know how it had happened. It was the last night of their trip, and they had gotten into some of the firewhiskey and - okay, maybe he _did_ know how it had happened.

Remus nodded slowly. "That's what I thought you said. Ah, well," he paused, rubbing at the back of his neck with his hand. "Good for you," he said hesitantly.

Sirius scooted his seat closer, the noise of the feet scraping across the floor filled the space harshly. "Is that okay?"

Remus shot him a confused look. "I'm sorry?"

Sirius glanced around to check that they were alone. "I mean—does that bother you?"

Remus frowned. "Sirius, I - why would it bother me?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Because of... _You know_," he said, motioning between himself and his friend with his hand as he nodded, his eyebrows raised in an insinuating manner.

Remus's eyes widened, and then he looked down quickly, hiding his face partially from the wizard's view. "Sirius. You can kiss whomever you want... I don't care."

Sirius frowned, letting out a huff of irritation. What did _that_ mean? "You don't _care_?"

Remus shook his head and glanced back up, an unreadable look in his eyes. "No. It's none of my business."

Sirius blinked. "But," he paused, studying the tense sandy blond. "You kind of _seem_ bothered by it."

Remus ran an agitated hand through his hair. He let out a forced sounding laugh. "Yeah, well - she _is_ a Slytherin."

Sirius grinned despite himself. "I never took you for a House snob, Lupin."

Remus shrugged his shoulders, his smile wavering somewhat. "We all have our faults, I suppose," he said quietly. He looked up at the wizard, his eyes soft. "So, you like her then?"

Sirius leaned back, crossing his arms, too many emotions warring for his attention to make sense of them. "I wouldn't say _that_."

Remus lifted one eyebrow. "Then why did you...kiss her?"

Sirius ran a hand through his hair, rubbing it back and forth over his head as he thought. "I'm not sure, honestly. I suppose - mostly just because she's pretty."

"I see." Remus pressed his lips together, an unhappy look crossing his features for only a second before disappearing. He laid down on the bed. "You know, Sirius, I'm actually pretty tired. Thanks for visiting," he said blandly.

Sirius stood up begrudgingly at the obvious dismissal. He turned to leave, stopped and then swung back around. "Are you _sure_ you're not upset with me?"

Remus rolled onto his side, his back facing his friend. "I'm sure. I just need to rest before tonight."

"All right." Sirius nodded at the werewolf's back and turned to leave again. He walked away, not sure if he actually felt any better.


	18. Chapter 18

**Black**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**Author's Note: New update! Yay! Thank you all for the reviews! I was worried that I had scared everyone off. You guys are so unbelievably awesome. Siriusly.**

** :-)**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

**~Chapter 18~**

* * *

"Thank you so much for the present, Sirius," Evie said, her voice filled with excitement as she walked beside the wizard towards the Gryffindor common room. She was holding her wrist up, eyeing a platinum bracelet with filigree designs intricately woven around dark green emeralds.

"I _love_ it. I've never owned such a beautiful piece of jewelry before," she said, running her fingers lovingly over the bracelet.

Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "You only turn fifteen once," he said in an offhanded manner. He had received a letter that morning from his parents telling him to present the witch with a gift while they were in Hogsmeade and had said that they had several acceptable pieces set aside at Burke's, a small upscale jewelry shop, for her to choose from. He had just been happy that she hadn't taken long to choose.

"You're a really nice guy, Sirius," she said softly, reaching out and taking his hand and then coming to a halt.

Sirius frowned as he stopped and glanced over at the blonde. She was gazing up at him with an expectant look.

"You're nice too, Evie," he said hesitantly, pulling his hand away gently. He felt the sudden urge to run for the portrait that was only a few yards away. He could probably make it if he really made a go for it.

The witch took a step closer, drawing his attention back to her. "I like you, Sirius," she said, looking up at him with big blue eyes. "I, you're really funny, and smart and-and a good person."

Sirius froze. His mind stuttered. She thought he was a good person? He swallowed hard, leaning his back against the wall behind him.

The witch cut off any thoughts as she pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips gently against his for a moment before pulling back. "A thank you," she explained in a soft voice.

Sirius nodded slightly, his gaze shifting back down to the witch's mouth as his tongue darted out to wet his lips. He slipped his arms around her slender waist and tugged her closer. He slid his feet forward, lowering his height a few inches for the girl as he leaned against the wall. He grinned impishly at her. "You can thank me again if you'd like, Evie."

She smiled shyly and leaned forward.

* * *

"Hey guys," Sirius said, greeting James and Peter as he walked into the dorm, noting Remus's absence.

"Hey, Sirius," James responded as he studied a chess board sitting between him and Peter. The two boys were sitting on the floor playing a game of Wizard's Chess. "Pete, you might as well just go. I'm going to take it, you know it," he said, taunting the small blond across from him.

"Maybe we should play something else," the boy suggested as he looked down at his dwindling pieces glumly.

"Don't be a poor sport. I'll tell you what, I won't take it my next move," James offered graciously. He let out a loud laugh when the boy pushed an even better piece into harm's way unintentionally.

Sirius walked over to his trunk, pulled off his cloak, his tie and then began to unbutton his shirt. "Where's Remus? Studying?"

James looked up, his face curled in a grimace. "Oh, he had to stay in the hospital another night."

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey said he was too bad to leave," Peter added with a concerned look on his face.

Sirius's hands stilled in their work. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice sounding oddly distant.

James set the piece back down he was about to use to smash Peter's with. "Bad transformation he said. _Really_ bad by the looks of it."

Sirius stood still for a second before turning and making his way back towards the door he had just walked through.

"Sirius, where are you going?" The words trailed after the wizard as he ran down the steps, not responding.

He slipped through the portrait and out of the common room, ignoring the portrait of the fat lady as she yelled after him about the late time.

He approached the curtains where he assumed his friend must be, all other beds empty. He reached a hand up to pull back the curtain.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, Mr. Black?"

Sirius cursed mentally before turning slowly and shooting the mediwitch his sweetest smile. "Madam Pomfrey, I'm sorry. I know it's late, but I just got back to the school, and-"

The older witch held up her hand, stopping the boy. "You can stay for thirty minutes."

Sirius nodded quickly. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Yes, well—just behave yourself," she said with an arched look and then walked off and towards her office on the other side of the room.

Sirius waited until she had shut the door. He turned back around and pulled the curtain open. He peered in before stepping between the barely parted curtains, trying to keep the light out.

"Sirius?"

The wizard started, turning around to see Remus sitting up slowly. He walked over quietly.

"Hey, Remus. Sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, it's fine. What are you doing here?" he asked groggily, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Heard you weren't feeling well," he said by way of explanation. He scanned the wizard's torso and arms that were covered in bandages. "Rough transformation?" he asked, his voice tight.

Remus looked down at his hands, studying them palm up, his fingers splayed. "Yeah," he answered in a dull voice.

Sirius nodded. "What happened?" he asked as he walked over to the wizard's bedside.

Remus looked up at him to answer, but his mouth snapped shut and his eyes narrowed as his gaze began to grow more intense.

"Remus?" Sirius asked curiously, the werewolf was looking at him in a way that made his breath catch in his throat.

Remus looked back down quickly and shook his head. "Ah, you, uh, you have some lipstick on your face," he said, his tone wry.

"What? _Oh_." Sirius's tongue flicked out, and he tasted the witch's strawberry-flavored lipstick. He reached up a hand and quickly tried to rub off any remaining evidence around his lips. "Thanks. I spent the day with Evie and her parents," he explained sheepishly.

"Did you have a nice time?" the werewolf asked in an even voice.

Sirius shoved his hands into his pockets and chewed on his lower lip. "It wasn't too bad, I suppose," he said quietly as he watched Remus lie back down on the bed carefully, grimacing as he did.

"Did you just get back?" he asked, his voice strained as he adjusted himself on the bed.

"Yeah." The dark-haired wizard eyed the space beside his friend. "Mind if I join you?"

Remus shook his head.

Sirius pulled off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, his head settling on the werewolf's pillow as he laid on his side.

He scooted closer and breathed in deeply. He closed his eyes, his body relaxing as he enjoyed his friend's close company. "It's always nice to be back here," he said.

Remus spoke up after a moment's silence. "You don't enjoy the breaks?"

"I just. I don't know. Summers are..." he stopped as his mind began to rebel and drift from safe territory. He breathed in deeply, centering his train of thought. "I just. I know I used to be home all the time before school, but it feels like it's getting more... Like it's _harder_. You know?"

Remus nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I feel the same way sometimes."

"And, of course," Sirius paused, holding back a grin as he looked over at his friend with mischievous grey eyes. "There's no one there who will share their bed with me."

Remus shook his head, smiling begrudgingly. "The horrors."

Sirius smiled as he closed his eyes. He wondered if Madam Pomfrey would notice if he stayed.

"Sirius?"

"Yeah, Remus?" the wizard asked softly.

"Can I - can I ask you something?" he asked, his tone apprehensive.

"Shoot," he said, sliding under the covers, deciding the mediwitch probably wouldn't say anything even if she did, because she wouldn't want to wake Remus.

"Why did you kiss me last year?"

Sirius's eyes opened. "What?"

Remus cleared his throat. "I mean, why'd you _want_ to?"

Sirius swallowed hard. He thought for a moment, trying to put his reasoning into words. "I guess, because I like you. You're my friend."

"Because I'm your friend?" Remus asked as if he had possibly misheard the wizard.

Sirius nodded against the pillow. "Yeah." He glanced over at the werewolf to gauge his response.

"I _suppose_ that's an okay reason to kiss someone," Remus said slowly, sounding as if he didn't actually believe his own words.

Sirius grinned, scooting closer, careful not to touch the heavily bandaged werewolf. "Yeah, but don't tell James or Peter that, because I'm not about to snog either of them."

Remus laughed quietly, groaning when the action jostled his aching body. "Oh, I really shouldn't laugh," he said in a pained voice.

"Sorry," Sirius said. He eyed the bandages again that covered a surprising amount of his friend's body, worry taking over. His gaze settled on a fresh one that wasn't covered that ran from his left shoulder up onto the side of his neck a couple inches. It would be hard to hide. "So, why was this one worse do you think?"

Remus took in a slow breath and then flinched and scrunched up his nose in distaste.

"Do I smell, Remus?" Sirius asked in an amused voice, pulling up his collar and sniffing at it experimentally, not noticing anything different.

The werewolf jerked his head to look at the wizard. "No. No-no, not at all. I just, uh - my sense of smell is off I think from the other night is all," he said quickly.

Sirius studied him for a moment. "All right... So, what was different?" he asked again.

Remus looked up at the ceiling. "It's complicated."

Sirius chewed on the inside of his lip as he thought about the book he had read. "Is it because of your age?" he blurted.

Remus looked over at him in surprise. "I'm sorry?"

"I mean, because you're," Sirius paused, struggling for the right words. He didn't think 'hormonally charged' would be received well. "Because you're...ah - wanting _things_?" he tried.

Remus's eyes widened, but he didn't respond.

"You know. Having _urges_," he hedged, raising his dark eyebrows in a meaningful fashion.

Nothing.

"Like, you see this fit bird—or bloke—and you just want to-"

"-Sirius," Remus said, cutting of his friend quickly. "I _know_ what you're talking about. Please, don't finish that," he paused for a moment and then added in a timid voice, "Yeah, basically."

Sirius frowned. "Well, is it going to get better?" he asked.

Remus glanced at him and then looked back up at the ceiling quickly. "I doubt it. It'll probably just get worse," he said, his voice filled with some emotion Sirius couldn't place.

The dark-haired wizard laid quietly, thinking. He couldn't imagine it getting any worse. "I'm sorry, Remus."

Remus turned and looked at his friend. "Thanks for coming to see me tonight," he hesitated before adding, "It-it helped."

Sirius quirked a lopsided smile, warmth filling his chest. "Anytime, Remus."

* * *

"I'm bored," James said.

"Yeah, we should do something," Sirius said from beside him. The two wizards were lying on Remus's bed on the first Saturday night in October, their heads hanging upside down over the edge.

"Reeemus," James moaned his friend's name, trying to get his attention.

The werewolf turned the page to his Potions book in response as he sat up by his headboard.

"Reeemus," Sirius chimed in, mimicking James's whiny tone, when there was no response.

The werewolf picked up his quill and wrote something on a sheet of parchment and then set it back on his nightstand.

"Reeemus Luuupin," James tried.

"Re-em-us," Sirius sang in a low pitch.

"Lu-up-in," James tacked on quickly in a high pitch to finish his name.

The two wizards began to giggle.

"I think all the blood rushing to your heads is making you two even more obnoxious than usual," Remus finally spoke up, his tone dry as he nonchalantly flipped the page of his book.

"Aw, what's wrong, Wolfster?" Sirius asked teasingly. "Is it that time of the month again?"

"Sod off."

James snorted. "Wolfster, I like it," he said, nodding approvingly, his hair swaying back and forth. "It can be Remus's nickname for when he's being all spicy."

Sirius grinned widely at his fellow upside-down friend. "Spicy, indeed. A little too obvious though, don't you think? We couldn't use it in mixed company."

Remus rolled his eyes.

"I suppose." James made popping noises with his lips as he thought. "What about. The Moonster?"

Sirius let out an unmanly giggle. "Oh, that's good. Or...Moonsy," he said.

James guffawed at the suggestion. "A tad girly. Remus might not appreciate it."

Sirius hummed his assent. "True. True. Then... What about Moony?"

James turned his head and met Sirius's gaze. They stared at each other with matching blank expressions as the suggestion swirled in the space between them, slowly picking up momentum as both their lips began to twitch in an upward fashion.

Remus looked up in alarm at the pregnant silence. "No. No, you guys _cannot_ call me that."

James grinned slyly at Sirius. "Can't call you what - _Moony_?"

"_James_," Remus growled.

Sirius let out a barking laugh. "Oh, oh, it's perfect!" he exclaimed happily.

"Guys. _No_. Absolutely not."

Sirius pushed himself up, grinning at the sandy blond, who responded by flipping him off. He let out a surprised laugh and then winked at the boy before standing up.

"Come on, James. Let's go see if we can't find Pete. I think _Moony_ here needs his quiet time."

"Sirius. Stop it." The werewolf glared darkly at the wizard.

"Yeah." James got up and joined the other boy. "Moony deserves silence while he studies. Look at him with all his books and papers," he said in an affectionate voice.

Sirius tilted his head to the side as he gazed at the glowering boy, his expression one of a proud parent. "He looks so studious. Our little Moony is such a hard worker."

James nodded as he pretended to wipe away a rogue tear.

"I hate you two," Remus said harshly.

James and Sirius sniggered as they walked towards the door.

"Bye, Moony!" Two voices called out in unison, the door pulling shut quickly when a shoe flew through the air.

"I _won't_ bloody answer to it!" The defiant words were met with muffled peals of laughter as the two boys ran down the steps.

"So, you wanted to look for Peter?" James asked as he and Sirius strolled through the Gryffindor common room.

Sirius glanced around the room, not seeing the boy. "Not really. Want to go outside?" he asked lazily as he made his way to the door.

"It's almost curfew," the messy-haired wizard pointed out.

Sirius continued to look at him for an answer, his expression unchanging.

James shrugged his shoulders. "Sure."

The two wizards walked out of the room and made their way along the abandoned corridors.

"So, do you want to try out our beard potion on Evans at breakfast tomorrow?" Sirius asked as he peered around a corner before turning it.

"Ah, actually... I was thinking maybe we should take it easy on Evans for a while," James said in an overly nonchalant manner.

Sirius grinned. "_Oh yeah_?" he asked, his voice heavy with insinuation as he wiggled his eyebrows at his friend.

"Don't say it like _that_." James shoved his friend, an embarrassed look crossing his face. "I just think maybe we should spread out our pranks a little, that's all."

"_Oh yeah_?" he asked again, his tone the same.

"Git." James kicked him in the leg. Sirius moved to retaliate-

"-Headmaster, something _must_ be done." The words carried around the corner.

"McGonagall," James whispered.

The two boys shot each other terrified looks and then took off, shoving each other as they scrambled to get behind a nearby statue of a lion.

"Shit," Sirius whispered as he almost fell over when he tried to lean up against the wall and instead found himself stumbling backwards into a small dark room about four-by-four feet in dimension that hadn't been visible from the outside.

"Sirius? Oh, there you are," James whispered as he entered the space.

The two boys looked back out towards the hall at a transparent wall of glimmering magic at the edge of the room.

"What is it?" Sirius asked in a hushed tone.

"I've seen this before. It's a one-way peering enchantment," James whispered as he studied the glimmering screen. "You can't see through it from the other side."

Sirius nodded appreciatively as they waited for the two professors to pass.

"Minerva, there is nothing to be done unfortunately. It is out of my hands," the old wizard said as he stopped right in front of the statue.

The older witch glanced around before speaking in hushed voice. "Albus, he almost died the last full moon."

Sirius's eyes widened. Full moon? _Remus_.

"Minerva, Poppy was there, and she will be there next time. We are doing everything in our power," he said in a reassuring voice.

"Not _everything_. We could request for an animagus to be put with him. It would help keep him from hurting himself."

The headmaster sighed. "I'm afraid that is not an option. As you know, the Ministry is not aware he is attending."

"Well, what about me? Albus, I could do it-"

"-No, Minerva," he said firmly. "You know that he wouldn't take well to a cat. He needs an animal that he can interact with naturally for it to stand a chance."

The witch let out a soft sob. "He's just so young. There _has_ to be something."

The headmaster turned towards the space where the two young wizards were hiding with matching looks of horror. "He has friends. You know how much that helps one with his affliction."

The witch nodded jerkily, wiping her eyes discreetly. "I just wish there was something more we could do."

Dumbledore's gaze shifted and landed directly on Sirius.

The young wizard had the odd sensation that the headmaster could see him through the wall.

"Perhaps someone else will be able to do what we cannot," he said simply and turned away abruptly. "Come, Minerva. I have some new tea I've been meaning for you to try, it's lemondrop flavored."

Sirius and James stood in silence long after the two professors had walked away.

* * *

**Please leave a review. Even if you think your English is horrendous. I don't care. I will still love it. I swear! Hehe. **


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